Bigger Than Us
by xbLuex
Summary: I'm falling apart. Can you hold me together? - LILEY
1. Meeting Destiny

**A/N: **Hi there! So, I tried out writing an English fanfic and I'm a little nervous about what you will think about it. It's a Liley since it is my favorite couple. It's not the first fanfic I've ever written, but one of my first English ones. Enjoy reading =)

**Warning:** Femslash!! Don't like it? Simple: don't read it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Meeting Destiny

"Lilly! Get up!!"

Why should I? I'm not in the mood to go to school. It's boring and I'm not good at anything except for PE. I love sports, especially soccer. It makes me feel free, you know?

"Lillian Truscott!!" I hear my mother shouting again. I hate my full name and I hate it when somebody calls me like that. Shaking my head, I get up and make my way to the closet.

"Don't make me come up there!! You're going to be late for school!!" she threatens. I roll my eyes. Is she drunk today? She doesn't sound like it.

I don't hate my mom, but ever since she and dad are fighting she's drinking nonstop. It's unbearable; she's cursing, crying and sometimes she hits me for no reason, but then two minutes later she usually regrets in and tries to be best friends or something. I just think she's broke. I feel sorry for her.

My dad is an idiot. He never treated me like a daughter. I think he didn't want to have me in first place. He knows I exist but that's all. We hardly talk; we barely look at each other. He gives me the feeling that I'm not wanted in his presence so I avoid him.

"Lillian!!" I hear my mom's voice again. This time I reply: "I'm up, mom! I'll be down in ten minutes!"

My outfit for today, black cargos, a black T-Shirt and a grey, hooded sweater, quite baggy. Along with it my black converse. I don't feel like wearing colors … no, actually I don't like wearing colors. They tend to say that you're happy or so and I'm definitely not happy.

I only wear colored clothes when I have to wear my soccer jersey, but that's okay. Soccer makes me happy.

I go to my bathroom, wash up and brush my teeth. No make-up. Why? First, it takes some time to be perfect – in my case at least – and I get up way too late every morning; and second, I don't have to impress anybody, at least not at school.

I reach the bottom of the stairs and I hear my mother cursing from the kitchen. "Fucking moron. Why is he out so fucking early and why did he drink all the fucking milk when I told him to leave some for Lilly?"

She's talking about my dad. I think he has a thing going on with a co-worker, who happens to be a few years younger than him and I also think she's the reason my parents are fighting. I just hope he stops seeing the other woman and goes back to mum. I can live without my dad, but mom can't, he used to make her so happy.

My dad's an accountant, by the way. He's out to 'work' the whole day and only comes home to sleep and eat up all our breakfast. My mom works at a little restaurant as a waitress, at night she usually goes to the bar next door and gets drunk, so I'm pretty much alone all the time.

"Sorry, Lilly, no cornflakes for you today. Your asshole of a father used up all of the milk." my mother tells me when I enter the kitchen. I shrug. "Whatever. Just give me some toast; I wouldn't have time for cornflakes anyways."

"I figured you'd want toast so I toasted one for you. Here you go." she hands me the toast and I take a bite. Ew, it's burnt.

Oh well … and least my mom's sober this morning. Maybe things are going to be better? She hasn't had a sober morning in days. It's usually a good day for her and it raises my hopes for her to get better. On the dark side, she always ends up drunk and crying in the evening, so it never changes a thing. But a girl can hope, right?

"I'll see you in the evening, mom." I say and grab the car keys and my schoolbag. If I don't take the car I'm gonna be late again. The teachers already hate me for it.

I get into my car and start it. I take a deep breath and hold it for a second, then let it out again. Life sucks. Why can't it be like it used to? I mean, yeah, we weren't the happiest family, but it was always comfortable at home. When my parents were happy, I was happy. Then, two years ago, this whole fighting started and I felt horrible. They used to stop in between but never really quit the whole arguing and shouting and it made me feel worse every time. My grades dropped and teachers hate me now.

I press the play-button on the car's CD-Player and turn the volume up. I like to listen to all kinds of music. Right now I'm playing 'Season Change' by 'Anastacia'. I think she's kind of cool and the song fits right now.

My car is an old Volkswagen Beetle, dark blue, but the color is coming off a bit. My mom got it quite cheap last year for my sixteenth birthday. It's one of the coolest presents she ever gave me, actually, and I love that car to death, no matter how rusty and old it is.

---

"Wow, Lilly Truscott in school on time? What happened to you? Met someone your anxious to see today?" my best friend greets me, teasingly. His name is Oliver Oken; dark hair, comforting gaze and I've known him forever. Seriously, I can't remember when we met; we just always knew each other.

"Shut up, doughnut. I didn't sleep well last night and unintentionally was up on time this morning." I tell him. Last night was horrible; my parents were shouting the whole night.

"Still, you look quite happy today. Did Sunday turn out nice?" he asks me and puts an arm around my shoulder.

God, I don't even want to recall the weekend. It was horrible. I called up Oliver on Saturday and cried for more than an hour on the phone. My dad hit my mom and she drank more than usual and was super-moody and crazy. But compared to Saturday Sunday actually was okay. My dad wasn't at home and my mom just stayed in bed and on the couch, watching TV, 'relaxing' a bit and she hardly drank anything. I answer: "Guess so. Mum wasn't drunk this morning."

"That's great, Lilly! You'll see, things will work out eventually!" Oliver says, all excited and happy. God, I hate this. Why is everybody so happy and I simply can't be?

"Right … " I breathe out in a sarcastic tone and walk up to my locker, taking out my books for today.

"Come on, Lil. Keep your head up for once. You know what? You should come to John's party on Friday. Joanie and I will be there and we can hook you up with someone." he pleads and grins his stereotypical grin. John is just some jock from the football team and he's throwing a birthday-party at his place or something.

Oliver and Joanie have been dating for a year now, and they seem happier than ever. I respect their relationship and everything, but there's one thing which kind of caught me off guard two weeks ago. They told me that Joanie is pregnant and they'll keep the baby. It took them half a year to actually kiss and now she's pregnant already! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them, but it's just a bit crazy with school and everything.

From what they told me their parents seem okay with the whole baby-thing. Oliver's parents even support them. I wish my parents were as kind as Oliver's. They are saints, I tell you. They always make me feel welcome at their place and they always invite me over to stay because they know what's going on at my home. Oliver told them, against my will, actually … but the fact that they're being so cool made me forgive him really fast.

"I don't need you to hook my up with anyone, Oliver. I can manage to do that on my own. Plus, I'm not in the mood for something like it, anyways. I'm gonna be at the party, though." I answer and close my locker. He's right; at least the party can get my mind off of everything for a bit.

"Sweet!" Oliver shouts out and gives me a high five. One second later Joanie walks up to us: "Hey, honey. Hi, Truscott, on time for a change?"

I roll my eyes at that statement and decide not to answer it. Joanie and I never really were friends or anything. We just hang out because of Oliver and only with Oliver. Other than that I haven't really got a lot of reasons to talk to her.

"Hey, babe. Lilly's gonna be joining us at the party on Friday." Oliver chirps, happily hugging his girlfriend and pecking her on the lips.

"That's great, I guess. I'm not so sure if I'll go to the party, though. You know I've been tired and everything on the weekend. The party might not be the best thing for the baby." she replies and Oliver's smile instantly drops. Joanie quickly adds: "But you can go with Lilly! I want you to go to the party with Lilly!"

Yeah, please, don't stay at home, Ollie! I don't want to get stoned and wasted all alone! I look at him, pleading.

"I'm not sure, Joanie. I don't want you to be all alone and bored while we're having fun." he says, then he looks at me, his expression changing into an apologetic one. I frown. But Joanie replies: "But I want you to go, Big-O. Go have fun; I'm okay one night alone."

He thinks about it for a short while, then finally gives in. "Fine, I'll go to the party."

"Yes!" I let out and punch fists with him. Awesome, one night to forget all my problems at home, here I come!

---

I'm walking into Chemistry class, taking an empty seat somewhere in the back, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms in front of my chest. It's one of the classes I don't have with Oliver or Joanie so it's gonna be more boring than the rest.

The class is starting and I'm already starting to drift off with my thoughts. I haven't been at a party in ages. I usually get drunk there. At least I know why my mom does it; it takes my mind off of everything. It's bad, I know, but where's the fun in not taking a risk?

I wonder if they have other stuff there as well, if you know what I mean. I smoked some sort of weed at a party before, and I tell ya, it felt great. Even better than alcohol; I felt absolutely free of every worry, no pain.

My attention turns to the teacher for the first time now because he's talking about paining us up for some chemistry-stuff I don't know about. Great … I can't pair up with anybody I know because I know absolutely nobody in this class. I mean, I know them from seeing them but I know nothing about them. I hope I don't end up with a loser of some kind. At least we don't have to pair up ourselves.

"Truscott and … Stewart!" that's the last thing I pay attention for today, I guess. Who is that person anyway? I see a dark-haired girl standing up and walking over to me, sitting down quietly on the chair next to me. She seems shy or so, not even looking at me. Well, I hope she pays attention or we won't know what the task is.

"I'm Miley." I hear a quite deep and raspy voice with a thick accent from beside me. I turn my head to face her. She still looks rather shyly at me, but wow … she has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen.

"Lilly." I answer and turn my attention back to … well, my thoughts. Who is that girl? Is she new? I've never seen her before. Why didn't I notice her before? Then on the other hand, it's not like I notice every person in school.

I glance over at Miley again and take a better look at her. She's wearing light-blue jeans, a white T-Shirt and a pink vest. I could say she blends in with everybody but I think there's more to her than we all know because she looks extremely miserable and unhappy.

**A/N:** Okay, so this is the first chapter. Please leave your thoughts, I'm happy about every review =)


	2. Not Like The Rest

**A/N:** Wow … I am really surprised that I got so many reviews for the story in such a short time. A big thank you to everybody who reviewed so far, I am really glad you liked it. I hope I won't disappoint you with the next chapters. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Not like the rest

"Hey, Oliver!" I call out to my best buddy. He's walking a bit ahead of me to grab some lunch. We have free period together.

He turns around and grins at me. "Hey there, Lils!" He stops and waits for me to catch up with him.

"What's up? You look like you have something to tell." he says. Why does he always know? Am I that easy to read? Or is it just Oliver? Oh, I don't care, I want to know more about that girl I met earlier in chemistry. I tried to talk to her but either she blocked off or the teacher interfered.

Oliver is the best source when it comes to school stuff. He knows everything about everyone from various sources. Don't ask me how he does it; maybe he just looks so trustworthy or so.

"Yeah, um … do you know a girl named Miley Stewart?" I ask, anxious to know more about her. She kind of fascinates me. Why? I don't know, maybe it's her presence or maybe just her eyes.

We collect our trays and grab some food. 'Food', whatever it is. We sit down at our usual table. Now Oliver answers: "Miley Stewart? … I'm not sure … sounds familiar."

He frowns and thinks about what he might have heard about her. Come on, man, it can't be so hard. Either you heard something about her or you haven't!!

He suddenly looks like a light bulb went on in his head. "Ah, I remember! She's new here, started at the first day of school. She moved here from … uh … the countryside … wait from uhm … "

That's why I've never seen her before! School started three weeks ago and I haven't paid any attention to new students. They're usually geeks from somewhere and don't really interest me. I think that Miley person is the first to really catch my attention.

"Tennessee!" Oliver says and snaps his fingers. I raise an eyebrow. "Huh?"

My best friend shakes his head. "Have you been dreaming again? I said that she's from Tennessee."

"I see … that explains her accent." I think out loud. The accent was cute. I liked it.

"You met her? Where?" Oliver asks. I turn my attention back to him, and reply: "We're lab-partners in chemistry. She hardly spoke a word with me so I had to get my information about her from someplace else."

"Right … and I'm this 'someplace else', huh? You could have asked her yourself, you know?" he says, taking a bite from his … whatever it is. I punch him playfully in the shoulder. "It's not like I tried but she was blocking off."

"Well, maybe she's scared of you and your … 'colorless-ness'." Oliver replies, trying to hold back a smirk. This time I smack his shoulder harder. "Doughnut!"

"What? You used to dress up different to impress chicks … remember?" he teases. He knows very well that I'm not in a dating-mode right now. Not with my parents being stupid. Plus, they still have to get used to the fact that I like girls.

I came out to them three years ago, when I had my first 'girlfriend'. We didn't last long, but long enough to make me tell my parents. They were both shocked and my dad was even disgusted. He didn't treat me worse or anything, he just let me know he didn't approve by making hateful comments about homosexual people.

"Excuse me … " I hear from behind me. A cute accent again! Can it be Miley? I turn around to face the person. Hey, would you look at that? It _is_ her!

I'm a little too excited, am I? I hardly know her, maybe she's a horrible person. Just because I think she's cute doesn't make her a great person.

"M-may I sit with you? Everywhere else is full and I don't know anybody else … " she asks in that shy tone again. I give her a small smile: "Sure, sit!"

"Thanks." she mumbles and starts eating her lunch. Oliver looks at her, then at me and gives me a wink and smirks. I just roll my eyes and hit his leg with mine under the table. He glares at me but I ignore it.

"So … Miley … " I say, her head shoots up by the mention of her name. I raise an eyebrow. She swallows the food and says: "Sorry, I'm surprised you remember my name. Nobody else in school did."

"Well we're not the rest of the school, girl. This is Oliver, by the way." I introduce my best friend to her. She gives him a small smile and blushes a bit. "I'm sorry, that was rude just to start eating. I'm just a bit scared in this school."

"Don't worry, take your time getting used to it." Oliver replies and leans back, hands behind his head. Miley nods and starts eating again.

I can understand her, though. This school is large and frightening. Kids are being stupid. There are so few you can hang out with if you're down to earth.

"Where did you move from?" I ask her, even though I already know; but I don't want to make her feel more uncomfortable by letting her know people already know stuff about her.

She looks up at me again. "I'm from Tennessee. I used to go to a small school there."

I nod and let her finish her lunch.

She looks like she wants to tell a lot more about herself but she's struggling not to. Maybe she's scared that people might listen or so? I think she's not used to so many stupid people in one place.

"Excuse me, I'm going to head for the library. It was nice to meet you two." Miley excuses herself and gets up.

Damn, just as I wanted to ask her a few more questions about her. Why did she move in first place? Where does she live? Hobbies, music? Why do I want to know so much about her?

"She looks upset." Oliver notices, I nod in agreement. She does. "Maybe she's just really uncomfortable in this school?"

"Maybe. But our school isn't _that_ bad, is it?" Oliver asks me and I think also himself. I frown. Good question. "Maybe we're just used to it because we were here from the start. I mean, come on. She moved here from somewhere in Tennessee, from a school where she probably knew everybody in person? This could be frightening for her."

"Wow, Lilly, care much about that girl, do ya?" Oliver teases and smirks. I just shake my head. Actually, I do, so I can't say anything against it.

---

As I walk out of school someone practically races by. I recognize her immediately. "Hey, Miley!"

She turns but keeps on walking. I jog up to her; she says: "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry."

"Need a ride?" I offer her.

Did I just offer some random person a ride? What is happening to me? I usually don't let anybody get close to my car except from Oliver.

She smiles. "Yeah, that would be nice."

We walk to my car, side by side, not talking a word. She's a big mystery.

---

As I drive out of the parking lot she breaks the silence: "Y-you and Oliver are the first two people to be nice to me … " I figure she's a bit relieved about that fact.

"Well Ollie and I are not like the rest of the school. We don't spread rumors or talk about people behind their backs and stuff. We are the boring and normal folk. You also seemed like that so we had no reason not to be nice to you." I explain to her.

She stays quiet. I decide to crack a little joke: "Hey, if you're hiding that you're a snobby bitch I'll throw you out of the car instantly!" I smirk at her and to my surprise it got a little giggle out of her. It sounds really cute!

"No, don't worry, I'm not like all that. I'm just surprised that there are actually 'normal' people in this school, after everybody I met in there." she tells. I nod, knowing what she's talking about.

"Yeah. And I'm surprised that there are 'normal' people out in the rest of the world, after what you hear about in the news." I reply. She giggles again. God, it sounds so adorable! "Truth been told!" she agrees.

"The next turn right, please." she gives me the final direction she didn't mention earlier. Cool, she lives close to me.

I stop in her parking lot but before she gets out I say: "Hey, I live three doors down. Maybe we could hang out sometime?"

She gives me a smile. A happy smile, this time. She looks relieved, probably because she got to know someone. This smile really fits her. "Yeah, that would be awesome. Thanks for giving me a ride home."

"No biggie." I reply. She opens the door and steps out. "I'll see you 'round!" she says before shutting the door. I watch her going into her house and head back home.

Why is she so different from everybody else? I mean, she's really just like the rest. Maybe because she is a big mystery? Maybe I think that makes her interesting? Another friend can't hurt, right? I don't have a lot, anyways. And she seems like she can use a friend.

**A/N: **Still good? Please leave your thoughts!


	3. Make it stop

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews again! I'm glad you still like it. Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Make it stop

I'm sitting in front of the TV; both of my parents are not at home, as usual. Mom's working and drinking, and dad's getting laid by his co-worker. I'm used to it by now, anyways. Usually Oliver calls or comes over but he's busy with Joanie ever since she's pregnant.

I hear a knock at the front door. It's half past four; maybe Oliver and Joanie feel like visiting me today?

I open the door to find someone else standing in front of it. Someone I didn't expect at all. "Miley! That's a surprise. Come on in."

"Sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing anything." she says, but steps in anyways, taking off her shoes.

I smile; I like her presence. "No, not at all. I'm bored. You showed up at the right time."

"Aren't your parents at home? Or siblings?" she asks. I shrug. "Nah, they're busy people … and I don't have any siblings. Want something to drink?" I really don't like talking about my parents, it makes me feel unhappy.

"No thanks, I'm fine." she replies. I sit back down on the couch and turn off the TV. "Sit down, don't be shy." I tell her and she does so.

Silence.

I watch her looking around at the living room. She looks a bit defeated, tired. Maybe it's just me but I think she has a lot going on at home as well.

But she's also really cute. She has those amazing eyes, cute nose and full lips. Her body is slim, almost too thin but still okay. Her hair is gorgeous, by the way. It's so thick and lush and it looks so natural and soft. I feel like touching it but I hold myself back.

"So, Miley … tell me a bit about yourself." I say, leaning back on the couch. She thinks about what to say, but settles with a non-helpful answer: "I really wouldn't know where to start. I mean, my life is not that interesting."

"Just start with your family. Parents, siblings?" I ask her, giving her a small smile. She sighs a bit sadly. Is everything alright with her?

"Well … there's my dad … he's actually the reason why we moved here. He's a songwriter, actually and he got his big shot here in LA. And then there's my mom … " she shortly trails off, now looking really worried. She looks into my eyes shortly; she looks vulnerable, almost like she's screaming out for comfort. But then she looks back to the floor.

"Well she's just my mom, still looking for a job." she finally replies. She's lying, I know. I don't really know why I know, but I could make it out in her voice.

"And then I have a brother, Jackson." she looks back up into my eyes. It's shielded again, her gaze. It's like she built up an invisible wall. "He's in junior year in school. We're really close."

Silence again, I just nod. So, there must be something wrong with her and her mom or so. She lied. I mean, I can understand she simply can't trust me after knowing me for half a day, but she's a terrible liar. Now I'm really anxious to know what's wrong with her mom. I can't help it that I'm so nosy.

"So what do your parents do that they're so busy?" she asks me. Now it's my turn to sigh. Well they drink and cheat, but other than that we're a happy family. God I hate this subject. Well, I don't have to tell her everything, that's what Oliver is for.

"My dad's an accountant and my mom's a waitress. And that's pretty much it. They love to work longer than they have to." I reply, staring at the floor. Am I as terrible at lying as she is? I mean, not everything was a lie, just … the last part.

I look back up at her to find her smirking at me. "What?"

She chuckles her cute chuckle. I wish she wouldn't stop doing that, it sounds amazing. But still, is she laughing at me? "Seriously, what?"

"You're a terrible liar." she tells; I sink my head in defeat. So, I am. She continues: "But I won't bug you if you don't want to talk about it. I understand."

I look back up at her. Wow, she is cool. I think if we get to know each other better she can find out what's wrong with my stupid dad and my poor mom. I smile at her. "Thanks … but … you're as terrible as I am at lying."

"I know." she admits and grins. Man, she's cute.

"Say, Lilly … are you and Oliver together?" she asks and it looks like she wanted to ask that question ever since she met us. I shake my head. "No, no … we're not. He's my best friend. He has a girlfriend, though. Joanie."

"Oh … " she doesn't know what to say else, I guess. Her gaze drifts off. I ask her: "Have you got a boyfriend?"

Her head shoots back up. "Me? No, no, I don't. Have you?"

I can tell her I like girls, right? I mean, it's not like a secret to me. The whole school knows and she better finds out from me than anybody else. "Well, no. I'm gay."

"Oh … " again. She nods. I wonder if she's okay with it.

"Well um … do you have a girlfriend?" she asks, smiling again. Good, glad she's fine with it. I shake my head. "Nope."

"You know it's funny how open you Californians are. I mean, in Tennessee you had to make sure you only trusted your very best friend with things like well … being gay." she explains.

I nod, then admit: "Well, I was thinking about it for a second or two, though. I mean, since you're not from around here I also thought you might think it's disgusting."

"Oh, no, I don't … my dad does, though." she says. I can relate to that. But … why does she know? Is she … ? "Are you gay?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm not. But uh, my best friend came out to me and my dad found out because Jackson accidentally talked about it too loudly. My dad thought we had a thing going on and he made sure I knew that he thinks it's one of the most disgusting things ever." she tells me.

Homophobes. "Reminds me of my dad." I say. I don't like that subject, it really makes me feel down. I mean, Miley's life doesn't seem peachy either but I don't know, in some way she seems strong. She has this aura.

"What's your favorite hobby?" she asks, changing the subject. I'm pretty thankful about it, actually. Thinking about my homophobic dad makes me angry. He's an idiot.

"Soccer, I guess. I played it since pre-school. I'm on the school soccer team." I answer.

She smiles. "That's cool! I could come watch some games!"

"You bet. Technically you're more or less obligated to do so if you decide to hang out with us more, you know. And I want all my friends come watch. It makes me play better."

"Friends? You see me as a friend?" she asks, a bit surprised. Oh, did I say friends? Well, yea, I mean … she's cool, right? I think we already clicked in some way. I haven't been so comfortable around anybody since Oliver and well, Joanie a bit.

"Yeah, I do." I say and smile at her. She blushes slightly. Again, cute. "To tell the truth, I like your presence. We are a bit alike, I mean, we're both terrible liars."

She chuckles again. I should record it, really. It sounds so pure. Am I being a freak? I guess I am.

"Yeah, you're right." she says and smiles a true smile again. And from this I should take a picture. She looks like an angel. Why am I so obsessed with her?

"Have you got a favorite hobby?" I ask, curiously. Also I want to stop thinking about her in a more than friendly way.

She looks up in the air, tapping her chin, then turns to face me again. "I love playing the guitar."

"That is so awesome! You could play something for me!" I say and grin broadly. I can even imagine it easily, Miley with a guitar.

"Well, maybe I could … I'm not too – "

Her cell phone cuts her off. "Excuse me … " she says and picks up.

"Dad? … yeah, I'll be there. Bye." she waits one more moment than hangs up. Miley turns to me and says: "I'm sorry, my dad wants me over for dinner."

"Okay." I reply, I hope it didn't sound too sad, because I really don't want her to leave. I was actually starting to have a good time for once. It's been months since I had a good time without alcohol.

She gets up and I walk her to the door. She turns to me and gives me another one of her gorgeous smiles. "Thanks, Lilly, for having me over. I haven't had such a relaxing time in weeks."

"Thanks for coming over." I say and she walks out the door, but turns again to say: "No biggie … friend."

I watch her leave and then shut the door, falling back down onto the couch and turning up the TV. I have this big smile plastered all over my face. I haven't smiled so much in ages, really. Miley has a spell on me, I swear! But it actually feels nice.

The front door opens abruptly and I hear my mother scream: "Lillian!!"

Well, it was nice while it lasted. Why does she sound so angry? I bet she's drunk again … great.

She stumbles into the living room, over to the couch. Perfect … like I needed her drunk self right now. I want my sober mom here, she's so much better.

"Why don't you answer your mother, you little brat?!" she practically yells. I look at her and say: "Hi, mom."

I hope this satisfies her. I better go upstairs. I get up but she packs my wrist and holds me back. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"To my room. I'm tired" I reply, trying to break free from her grasp. It's tight and it hurts. I wriggle my arm around but she won't let go. "Let go, mom!"

"Not before you tell me who the girl was who just left the house!!" she yells at me. I ignore her. She can ask that in a much quieter tone if you ask me.

"Lillian, tell me!!" she yells again. I still ignore it, still trying to make her let go. I glare at her, which is a bad idea. I feel a sharp pain on my cheek and I hear a matching slap.

"Ow!! Fuck off, mom!!" I shout, finally breaking free from her grasp and running upstairs, tears in my eyes. I hate this! Why can't she leave me alone? Every time she's drunk she takes her anger out on me, in whatever way!

I lock my door and fall onto my bed, face down. Tears start streaming down my face. I want it to stop! I just want it all to be normal again! I can't take this anymore!

**A/N:** I'm still a bit nervous. Did you like it? Please review!


	4. Sick

**A/N:** Thank you again for the nice reviews. There's nothing else to say than … enjoy reading ^^

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Sick

Friday came around faster than I thought. I'm on my way to the party already. With Oliver and – surprise, surprise – Miley. Oliver invited her, actually. I'm surprised she said yes, even though she's uncomfortable around the people at school.

I'm just taking my time to recall the past week. I haven't talked to Miley that much. Every time she came over she had to leave early, but we got to know each other a lot better. I was right when I said we clicked. Plus, around her I actually have fun. I also figured she acts a lot differently around me. She's more open, laughing and talking. In school she's still the same shy Miley.

Back to today; I actually dressed up and put on some make-up. I think I want Miley to notice me, but she's been a little distant today. She told me she had stress at home. Maybe her parents are also fighting? I don't know, but I'm sure it's the reason why she's so … absent.

"Alright, ladies, we're here." Oliver says and we all get out. I can hear loud music from the house.

Inside, the party is already in full charge. Loud music, people dancing, drinking and making out. It smells like beer; lucky for me.

"I'm gonna go get something to drink." I say and head over to a table with beer cans on it. I take a can and gulp down half of it at once. Ah, feels nice.

I look around. I think the whole school is here. I don't like the music, but I don't care. A few more of those cans and I'm out. I drink the rest of the can and open another one.

And another one. Finally, I can feel it doing its magic. The pain is washing away and a goofy grin is spreading on my face.

"Lilly Truscott?" I hear a female voice from beside me. I look at the girl. Quite tall, blonde hair, green eyes, perfect body. I know her from … somewhere. She's hot. What was her name again?

"Hey, I'm Jen. We have biology together. I was hoping you'd be here tonight." she says. I raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You're hot." she states. I grin. "Ditto." I say, then look around. "Wanna dance?"

She takes my hand and leads me to the 'dance floor'. I put my arms around her waist and pull her closer. We start moving to the beat together. It's getting warm in here, and I mean really warm. Her hips start moving against mine, after a few seconds we find a rhythm and it actually turns me on.

She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me on close, pressing her lips to mine in a rough kiss. She wants to take control but I won't let her. Soon our tongues battle for dominance, which I win easily. I don't like it when the other girl thinks she can control me. I won't let them.

We soon break the kiss and she pulls me off the dance floor again.

"Hey, I wanna dance!" I protest. Okay, I think the alcohol is slowly taking over me; I can't even convince her.

"Don't worry, we will. Here, drink this." she hands me a cup. I take a glance at it, looks pink-ish. Oh well. I gulp it down quickly. Holy shit! What the heck was this? It burns down my throat. Woah, I think the room is moving.

---

Jen is lying on a bed in a spare room. I really don't care who's room it is. I'm lying on top of her, sucking down hard on her neck, which makes her moan in pleasure. The sound makes me shiver a bit. Shit, I'm turned on.

I think I blacked out until now. She gave me another one of this drink and after that, until now, everything went black. I start unbuckling her belt but the door shoots open.

"Lilly, there you are! We have to go. Miley is drunk!" Oliver practically yells. I look at him, a bit annoyed. "So let her be! I'm in the middle of something. Oh … and I'm drunk, too!"

"But she's awfully upset and she won't talk to me!" he says. This makes a light go up in my head and I'm off of the girl and the bed, walking out of the room.

Oliver leads me to Miley. She's sitting in a corner, knees pulled to her body and she's crying. As I walk over I accidentally trip over my own feet and stumble to the next wall. Shit, stupid alcohol. It makes Miley look so pretty even though she's so upset!

"Miley, get up. We're going home." Oliver says and pulls her up. She almost falls again and I try to walk a straight line over to her to support her. But seriously, I'm not a big help because it makes us wobble even more and I let go again. Oliver pulls her out of the house and into the car.

Miley is still crying. I have to try to talk to her. "Miley, what's wrong?"

"No … I can't tell … " she says. But she has to, it looks like it's eating her alive, whatever it is.

I feel my stomach cramp. Oh shit, the alcohol. I try hard not to throw up now even though I feel really sick.

"Miley, you gotta tell me, please!" I beg her. I wouldn't remember anything, anyways. She just shakes her head, crying even harder. I feel so sorry for her. Something must be terribly wrong.

"No! No … I don't want you to worry. I don't want you to worry." she just says and keeps saying it. This is stupid. "We worry anyways!"

"No, no, no … " she says, holding her head.

Oliver stops at her house but before she can even think of getting out, I jump out of the car and puke into the nearest trashcan. Stupid alcohol. Why do I keep doing it? The pain is coming back, no matter what!

When I look up I see Miley already walking into her house, so I go back to the car and get in. I feel awful. Even worse than usually. Can't this stupid pain end someday?

"You okay there, Lils?" Oliver asks me. How can he be so damn nice?! Doesn't he have one worry in his life??

"No … just take me home." I reply. I try to shut out everything. Stupid evening turned out to be a fucking disaster. I wouldn't have brought Miley in first place.

We don't talk the whole way to my house.

---

What a nice way to wake up. I think my head is exploding. Stupid party, stupid alcohol! I thought it'd make me feel better, but it made me feel worse. I get up and walk to the bathroom, washing my face and brushing my teeth. I wonder if Miley is feeling better again.

I decide to take a shower; then I get dressed – sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It's Saturday, why dress up?

I walk into the living room. My mom is crashed on the couch, she's asleep and a bottle of wine is standing beside her. Nothing new to me. I roll my eyes and get myself a glass of water. I'm still worried about Miley, maybe I should head over to her place. Good idea!

I take the keys and leave the house. I decide to walk since she lives like ten minutes away.

As I come close to her house I can make out voices. Well, one voice, actually. A male voice; and he sounds angry. I stay a bit further away but I can finally make out what he says: " … you know your momma's sick and you still do that to her! She was so worried yesterday about you and what do you do? You come home drunk! How can you do this to her?!"

"I'm sorry, daddy! I really didn't mean to drink so much!" I hear Miley's voice. Ouch, guess her dad's mad at her. Poor girl. My parents either don't care or are too stupid to find out that I'm drunk every now and then.

"No, Miley, you're not sorry. Don't come back in until you mean in!! Plus, you're not supposed to drink anything!!" he raises his voice again. Then I hear a door slam.

Silence.

I walk up the driveway and I hear sobs. Aw, poor Miley got kicked out of the house. I better try to comfort her.

I walk up to her; she sits on the front porch like she did yesterday at the party; knees pressed against her body and arms around her legs, head buried in her knees.

I sit down next to her right side, not saying a word. I'm unsure of what to do. Should I hug her? Would she let me? Would she push me away because she'd think I'd make a move on her? But it's just a hug, right?

Should I do nothing? Should I just try to say something comforting? What should I say, anyways? Did she already notice me?

I open my mouth but nothing will come out. What if I say something wrong? She could hate me … and I really don't want her to hate me.

I decide to put my hand on her right shoulder. I figure it's a 'safe' place to put it. She turns her head to look at me. Her eyes are red and puffy and big tears are rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey … " I say, not really knowing if I should say anything else. Instead, I give her a sympathetic look.

Miley buries her head in her hands again and cries even more than before. She looks so miserable, she cries so bitterly. I feel so sorry for her. I think she has even more going on at home than I have.

Her dad said something about her mom. I guess she's the reason. Her mom is sick? Sick as in a flu or something worse? She has to tell someone, this can't go on. She can't be so miserable all the time. I want to see her happy smile again.

"M-my mom has cancer … " I hear her voice, it sounds small. My mouth falls agape.

"What?"

**A/N:** I think I'm finally not nervous anymore about what you guys think. I still hope you liked this chapter as much as you liked the others =) Please review!


	5. Similarities, Differences

**A/N:** Me again, thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them =) Here's chapter five, enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Similarities, Differences

"Oh my god, Miley … that's horrible." I say, still not believing what she just told me. That explains so much.

She continues: "Last year they diagnosed a tumor in the brain. She did everything possible to fight it and for a while she was feeling well again. Two months ago she kept having massive headaches and the doctors diagnosed that the cancer returned. They did everything possible but it was already too late … "

She sobs a few times. This is not the end of the story. She looks me in the eyes again. She's vulnerable. No invisible walls, nothing. She's helpless.

"The doctors said they give her a few weeks. The real reason why we moved here is because she always dreamed of going to Malibu and we wanted to make her happy by moving here. I haven't seen her so happy ever since the cancer came back. But she's feeling more horrible every day. She hardly eats and the chemo is destroying her. She says she can make it, all the time … yesterday when I came back to school I heard my parents talking. She said she's dying, she can feel it. I don't want to lose her, Lilly."

Tears kept coming down her face while she was telling me this. She poured her heart out to me. She is such a brave girl. I wouldn't know what I'd do if my mom was dying. Miley was even smiling the past few days, something I can't do even though my parents are just fighting. I admire her.

"I am so sorry, Miley." I say, but she shakes her head. "Don't be. There is nothing we can do."

Yeah, she's right. Cancer takes away loved ones against our will.

Maybe it's my turn to tell her about my parents now. She has a right to know after what she told me. I still don't feel comfortable when it comes to talking about my parents. They're broke. I have to face the truth.

"My parents are breaking up." I say. A lump forms in my throat and tears sting in my eyes. I can't help it, they are. Whether I like it or not. It's never gonna be the same if they stay together.

"My mom's a drunk because of my dad. He's cheating on her." I tell her. I feel a tear running down my face. I try to be strong. I can't break down now. Not in front of her.

"It's okay to cry, Lilly. Let it out, you'll feel better. Don't struggle with holding it back." she says. I give up, that just tipped over the already full glass. Tears are now streaming down my face. I can't think straight. About my parents, about Miley's mom, about life that sucks.

I feel two arms wrapping around my shoulders and I lean into the embrace. I cry, and cry and I can't make it stop. This is killing me. I think about my mom again, about the day when Miley first came over and it makes me feel even worse. "M-my mom a-also hits m-me."

It only makes her tighten the embrace. I cling onto her. I feel safe like this. I actually feel safe in her arms. She puts so much energy into that hug. It makes me feel a little better. It makes me feel like I'm not alone.

After a long silence in which we both just sobbed quietly, she finally speaks up: "We're both pretty troubled girls, huh?"

I can't believe it! After all this she can still crack a joke? This is what makes her so brave and strong and me so stupid and weak. She keeps her head up, no matter what. I chuckle through my sobs.

Unfortunately she lets go of the embrace and I feel cold immediately. I sigh quietly but I try not to let her notice. I feel a bit relieved. I mean, I was talking to Oliver about it, but letting someone else know as well wasn't a bad idea at all.

Silence again, we sit and just stare holes into the air. Okay, I think it just has to sink in a little more. I still can't believe how cool she acts when her mom is dying at home. I don't even want to know what it must feel like.

I try to change the subject a bit: "I actually came by to ask if you feel better and don't have a big hangover from yesterday."

She smiles a bit and I'm amazed again. How does she do it? "Before you came I felt horrible. I think I threw up the whole night and I have this huge headache. But now that I told you my biggest secret and you told me yours … I feel soooo much better! Thanks, Lilly."

"No, no … thank you!" I reply and give her a smile. Also a true smile from me, this time. I feel like a big weight has been lifted from my heart. Wow, I can do it as well. I can smile despite the fact that I feel shitty.

Oh, how I would love to invite Miley over for a movie or so, but I can't. My mom's at home, drunk. She'd scream the whole time, disturbing everything and she'd make Miley feel uncomfortable, I bet! And I simply can't go into Miley's because her mom needs rest. We could head to the Rico's or something.

"Listen, Miley … I would invite you over to my place until your dad comes around … but my mom's at home and you don't want to meet her drunk self … " I earn a sympathetic look from Miley, " … but we could head to the beach and well … talk. Get our minds off of things and I could show you Rico's or so."

"Oh, I know Rico's. Jackson works there; but the beach sounds good. Let's go!" she says and takes my hand in hers to pull me up. She has soft hands, a bit skinny though, but they're warm and it feels nice.

The sensation ends quickly as she lets go as soon as I'm standing on my feet. We start walking to the beach.

---

We haven't been to the beach together, since we just hung out at my place the last week. I wasn't really in the mood to go out.

We walk up to Rico's. Behind the bar I can make out a boy, a little older than we are. He has blonde hair, typical surfer's cut and the same friendly eyes as Miley. I figure it's her brother. I haven't seen him in school before. Miley and I never ran across his way.

"Hey, Jackson!" Miley greets him and he looks at us and smiles. "Hey, sis and … " he looks at me.

"Lilly." I introduce myself. He nods and turns his attention back to Miley: "So this is the famous Lilly?" He looks back to me. "I've heard a lot about you."

She was talking about me? How cool is that?! I look over at Miley and she blushes immediately.

"I'm glad my sister found a friend, you know. I figured she had a hard time at school." Jackson tells me. I nod in agreement. He really seems like a nice guy.

"Hey, Jackson, could you give us two bottles of water? I'm thirsty." Miley orders, changing the subject. I'm sure she still doesn't feel comfortable at school and doesn't want to talk about it too much. I can understand.

---

Monday has arrived, oh joy … another boring morning in school and lonely afternoon. Well, maybe I can hang out with Miley. I mean, we spent Saturday and a bit of Sunday together. Maybe today I can invite her over for a movie or something, since my parents are not at home.

The weekend didn't turn out as worse as it started. I mean, after Miley and I talked everything went smooth. Not even my mom was bugging me; I could shut her out successfully every time she was drunk – which was the whole weekend, really.

I walk up to my locker just to meet my best friend and his girlfriend there.

"Hey, guys!" I greet them, adding a light smile. As they turn they look flabbergasted.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Lilly?" Oliver starts; I hit him on the shoulder for that. "Ow … "

"Is it really you, Truscott? Why so happy?" Joanie asks me, I just shrug and open my locker.

I catch Oliver smirking and saying: "Miley has that effect on her. You should have seen her on Friday; she was all dressed up for that girl … ow!"

I hit him again. "Shut up, doughnut!"

Unfortunately, he's a hundred percent right. Miley _does_ make me happy and I _did_ dress up for her. So I can't say anything else against it.

"What? I am right, am I? You like her." he asks. I am that obvious, am I? Okay, Oliver knows me forever; he can read me like an open book.

"Yeah, so? She's straight!" I reply, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Oliver raises an eyebrow.

"Has she told you?" he asks. I nod my head. Yeah, yeah … unfortunately.

Oliver notices my sad look and puts a hand on my shoulder. I raise my head and look into his eyes. I always find comfort in his gaze. "I'm sorry, Lils."

No, no, I don't want to feel unhappy right now! I could finally manage to be at least a bit happy; I don't want to be down. I shrug it off: "Don't be! I'm glad we're friends. She's awesome."

Oliver gives me another smile and pats my shoulder. "Glad you see it that way, Lil."

---

So, Miley accepted to come to my house this afternoon. She was all excited when I asked her if she wanted to watch a movie. She said that she hasn't had a proper movie night a year, ever since her mom got sick.

We're in my car again, driving to my house. Miley hasn't got a car yet. She hasn't even got a license but she said she'll going to take care of that soon.

I realize I never asked her about her friends back in Tennessee. I wonder if she had a lot …

"Say, Miley. Did you have a lot of friends back in Tennessee?"

She meets my gaze. "I had two really close friends, Chelsea and Megan. I knew a lot of people in town, though; we all were 'friends' in some way."

"Wow, then you have a whole bunch of friends more than I have." I reply. She raises an eyebrow.

"Haven't you got any friends except for Oliver and Joanie?" she asks. I shrug. Good questions. They are the only ones I hang out with.

"I guess. I mean, I had a lot of friends when I was a little kid but we grew apart, you know. We all had different interests and we just joined different 'cliques'. Some of them became bitchy or snobby or nerds … I could go on but I think you get the picture." I explain.

I guess that's why I'm not really upset that I don't have so many friends.

"Oh, and I forgot, you are a friend as well, Miley. So I have three friends … and Joanie is not a friend-friend. She's okay, but actually that's it." I add.

Miley nods. "Yeah, I get it."

"And it's not like I don't like anybody, don't get me wrong. There are people at school who are also okay, just most of them are … well … idiots."

"It's okay, Lilly, I know what you mean." she says and smiles again.

I stop the car at my front door, turnoff the engine and we both hop out, grabbing our schoolbags. Comfortable afternoon, here we come.

**A/N:** That's it so far, please review =)


	6. True Love?

**A/N:** Hey! Thanks again for the reviews … here's chapter 6, enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

True Love?

"What kind of movies do you like?" I ask Miley as we take off our shoes. I'm up for anything right now.

Miley thinks about it for a second, then answers, blushing: "I like romantic comedies, I guess. Just … nothing depressing."

Oh, wow, I don't have a lot of those. I take a look at my DVD-collection. Well, if I can't find anything I'll go rent a movie. Wait, didn't Oliver get me this Disney-flick? He said it was 'sooo cute' and the way he said it made me think he's gay.

Anyways, he wanted me to watch it to take some time off my 'I-hate-my-life'-life. It's not entirely true. I used to like my life … until my parents started fighting.

"Hey, you have Wall.E?? That is the cutest movie I've ever seen! Let's watch it!" Miley yells from right behind me, which makes me jump. I didn't recognize she was that close. But I guess that was the movie Ollie also was talking about.

"Alright." I take the box, open it, take out the DVD and put in into the DVD-player. Good, movie is set up, now for the rest.

"Want some popcorn and soda?" I ask, Miley nods enthusiastically. I walk into the kitchen, put the popcorn into the microwave and get two cans of coke.

"I only have coke, is that okay?" I yell into the living room.

"Yeah!" I hear the confirming reply. I get two glasses, open the cans and pour the dark-ish substance into them. A minute later the popcorn is finished as well and I get a bowl. Perfect, snacks are set.

I walk back to Miley and hand her one glass. I earn a "Thanks." and a smile.

I plop down right beside her and hit the play button. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of those movies I'm curious what it's about.

"Do you actually like those kinds of movies, Lilly?" Miley asks me. Can she read minds?

"There are one or two good ones, but I prefer dramatic movies." I reply, taking a hand full of popcorn and stuffing it into my mouth. "Like what?"

Hah, easy one. "I love 'Lost and Delirious'. Ever heard of it?"

"Um … no, I don't think so." she answers. Wow, she should see it. I think it was touching, I actually cried my eyes out throughout half of it. "Well, if you're in the mood we could watch it."

"Okay." is the last thing she says; the movie is starting now.

---

Oh god, I actually have to admit this movie is cute. I mean, the poor little robot is desperate! He fell so hard for that Eve-thingy, I almost feel sorry for him.

"Lilly?" Miley calls me, really quietly.

"Hm?" I let her know that she has my attention, but my eyes are still glued to the TV-screen.

"Do you think love can happen as fast as it struck Wall.E?" she asks. I take my eyes off of the TV to look at her.

Wow, the darkness of the room with only the TV lights shining makes her look really beautiful. If I wouldn't know it better I'd say Wall.E must have had a similar feeling when he first spotted Eve.

"Yeah, sure. True love happens that fast." I reply. She smirks.

"Oh, so you believe in true love? You don't seem like it." she remarks. Pfft; I am a hopless romantic, I just don't show it to the rest of the world!

"Of course I believe in true love. I believe that there's someone out there in this world that is your soul mate and you'll eventually find him or her." I explain. It is my theory and I stick to it.

Miley is silent for a few seconds, probably thinking. "What about the people who are alone their whole life?"

"They already met him or her, but rejected them because of … I don't know … race? Sexuality? Religion?" I have no idea if it's true, but it makes sense for me. If you can convince me otherwise I might believe in something else.

"Do you think you already met yours?" she asks. Uh … did I? I mean, maybe … and she might even be sitting right next to me. But, I can't be sure, right? I'm still young. But I said it happens fast … great, now I'm lost in my own theory.

I decide for a neutral answer. "Maybe … and you?"

She giggles. "Maybe."

I smile. It can't be me _if_ there is someone, can it? She said she's straight … wait, no, sexuality doesn't matter. Can it be me? Wait, no! She said maybe, it doesn't mean yes! Stupid …

"Lillian!!"

Oh, shit … no, no, no! What is she doing here? I didn't hear the front door opening … why am I so caught up in my thoughts? I panic, Miley's still here! I don't want her to meet my drunken mom!

"Is that – " I cut her off: "My mom. You don't want to meet her. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, Miley. I'm so sorry."

"No, I can stay if you want to. I know you don't like being alone with her. You said she hits you." Miley replies. I shake my head.

"No, Miley, really, go." I say and get up, taking her hand and pulling her up as well.

Miley still protests: "Lilly, I don't want to leave you alone with her. You told me she makes you feel miserable and I don't want you to be upset!"

"I appreciate it, Miley, but I'm fine. I'm sure your mom is happy when you're at home." I say and pull her to the door.

My mom walks into the room; well actually she tumbles into the room and spots us, immediately. She looks at our hands.

"Lillian, is she one of your slutty girlfriends?!" my mother asks. I grow angry. She has no right to insult Miley!

"No, mom, she is just a friend!! Don't talk to her like that!!" I shout at my mother, and then I turn to Miley: "You better go, Miley."

I pull Miley to the door, past my mom, who's stumbling to the couch now. Miley puts on her shoes and I open the door for her.

"I'm so sorry, Miley. We're going to have to finish that movie some other time, I promise." I apologize to her. I really didn't expect my mom to be home so early.

Miley gives me a sympathetic look, then steps closer and wraps me into a hug. I'm close to tears. I really wanted this afternoon to be relaxing! Again, my stupid, drunk mom ruined everything. God, I hate her!

"It's not your fault she's drunk, Lilly. I would have stayed, you know." she offers again. I shake my head. Bad idea, she'd terrorize us. I had my ex girlfriend over with my drunk mum downstairs once, and It's never going to happen again. Okay, Miley is not my girlfriend, but my mom thinks she is, so it wouldn't change anything.

"You wanna go someplace else?" she asks. Again, I shake my head, now I bury my face into her shoulder. I have to take care of this drunken case in there.

"I can't … my mom flips when she's alone in the house. She almost trashed the living room on the weekend when I wasn't there. She panics and thinks people are after her or something." I explain, my voice is shaking. No, don't cry, Lilly, don't cry! Be strong! You can get through it! Tomorrow is a new day, right?

Miley breaks the hug and again, I feel cold immediately. How can she stay so cool when her mom is dying at home? Why am I so weak?

"Keep your head up, Lilly, okay?" she says and gives me a reassuring smile. I just nod. If I say anything I'll break down. She starts walking away. I just stand here, my head sunk in defeat.

---

My mom is lying downstairs, crashed on the couch again. I think she's asleep because I can't hear anything.

Aw man, I can't wait for soccer practices to start, but they're not until another week! It takes my mind off of so much.

I hear my phone ring. I rush over and pick up, not bothering to look at the ID, because I set a unique ringtone for this person.

"Hey, hey, Ollie!" I greet him, trying to sound happy. I don't want him to worry as well.

"_What's up, Lil? Is Miley still here?"_

I sigh. "No … my mom came home early, dead drunk so I made Miley leave, even though she insisted in staying … but, you know my mom … "

"_Aw, poor Lilly. But looks like she must really like if you if she wanted to stay."_

"If you say so, I still say she's straight … " I reply. I smile creeps across my face when I think about Miley. She looked so gorgeous today.

"_Whatever you say, Lil … hey, what about you and Miley join Joanie and me as in sort of a double-date-thingy? I mean, since Miley is straight – as you always say – it's not a date. We could go to the cinema or something?"_

"Great, name me a night where my mom's sober and I'll be happy to join!" I say, sarcastically. I hear Oliver sighing at the other end of the line.

"_Come on, Lilly. She's going to be fine one night alone. You didn't care about it the last weekend, did you?"_

"Yeah, I didn't and you didn't see our house afterwards! On Sunday she freaked out on me and told me there were men in the living room trying to murder her!" I snap at him. I cleaned up the house until 1 am.

"_Okay, I'll ask you another day this week; maybe you change your mind."_

"Alright, fine! I'll go! But you can help cleaning up my house this time!" I give in. It's not that I don't want to go.

"_Awesome. Friday, 7 pm in front of our usual theater. You go ask Miley out now, okay?"_

"Yeah, okay … see ya tomorrow, doughnut!" I say, a smile plastered on my face again. Going out with Miley will be fun.

"_Bye, Lilly!"_

I do like Miley, don't I? She's smart and cute … and funny and … I could go on. She's totally my type. We clicked, but … she's straight for heaven's sake! I think I'm getting too deep into something I can't have.

I pick up my phone again and dial Miley's number. Am I a freak for already knowing it off by heart?

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Miley!" I chirp happily into the phone. Wow, even her voice just makes me happy. This is so wrong.

"_Hey, Lilly! How are you holding up at home?"_

"No worries, mom's asleep downstairs. I got everything under control." I reply, lying down on my bed.

"_Good to hear. What's up?"_

"I was wondering if you wanted to join Oliver, Joanie and me for a movie at the cinema on Friday?" Please say yes, please say yes!

"_I thought your mom – "_

"I'll just put her into bed before I leave. It should work." I cut her off. Bad lie, but seriously, I don't care. At least I came up with something.

"_Well, my dad will probably freak if I go out again, but I'll convince him, so … yeah, I'd love to join you!"_

Yes!! "Sweet! I'll tell you the deets tomorrow at school. See you then!"

"_Good, see you!"_

I hear a click and hang up as well. I sigh dreamily. That girl is amazing. No, I can't do this to myself. If I fall in love I'll be heartbroken! Shit, this sucks. No, it doesn't suck … oh, whatever … I better get downstairs and make some dinner; I'm starving.

---

I'm digging down my lunch. It's free period. Miley and Oliver are watching me.

"I'd really like to have her appetite for school food." Oliver says with a raised eyebrow. Miley just nods in agreement. I ignore it. I don't care, I was really hungry.

I wipe my mouth with a napkin and lean back, pleased.

"Hey, hot stuff." I hear a familiar voice from right beside me. I look up to the person. "Jen?"

"You haven't talked to me yesterday. Didn't you like what we were doing at the party?" she asks. Oh boy, the party … we made out or something, right? Oh yeah, and Oliver was interrupting.

"Sure, I did." It was hot and I still wish Oliver wouldn't have interrupted us.

Jen smirks, leans down to me and kisses me again. It's similar to the kiss at the party, still hot. Wait a second, last time I checked I was crushing on Miley, right?

"Girls, come on! Not during lunch … in fact, not in my presence." Oliver whines. I break the kiss off and immediately look at Miley. She looks away, expressionless.

Jen whispers in my ear: "Wanna come to my place after school?" I can make out a seductive tone in her voice. Well … it could help take my mind off of my Tennessee-beauty, can it?

"Yeah, sure." I reply.

**A/N:** Let's see if Jen can really get Lilly's mind off of Miley … please leave your thoughts!!

Oh and, by the way, I've already written 11 chapters so far to this story, I started writing when I had no internet available … but I won't post them all at once because your opinion matters to me =) I can still re-write other chapters if you don't like the where the story is going, so please review and let me know!


	7. Left Outside Alone

**A/N:** Thank you guys sooo much for the nice reviews!!! They made me smile! Here's chapter 7 in return, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Left Outside Alone

A week passed and it's Monday again. All I've been doing was hanging out with Jen because she wants a good time. I mean, we go home, have sex and that's it. Nothing more. In one way it sucks but on the other hand it doesn't. I don't really like her that much. She's just … well, just Jen.

One thing that sucks even more is that I can't stop thinking about Miley. And – maybe it's just me – but she's been a bit more distant ever since this thing started with Jen. She's avoiding us two together completely, she just sometimes talks to me alone.

Maybe she's not so comfortable with lesbians? I mean, she said she's okay with it and everything, maybe she's just not used to it. She even insisted that I take Jen to the movies instead of her, so I couldn't go there with Miley, which made me think about her even more.

I kind of feel like Wall.E. We didn't even finish that movie together. I finished watching it alone, though. It almost made me cry to see that that cute little robot got so happy und lucky in the end and I ended up with … well not with the one I wanted in first place.

Still, I feel like Wall.E when he wanted Eve and she hardly recognized him. Okay, maybe Miley and I are more than that since we both poured our hearts out to each other, but I can't really cope with the fact that she's being distant when I'm with Jen.

"Earth to Lilly? Are you daydreaming again?" I hear my best friend's voice. Oh, right … I forgot. I'm still at school, at lunch again. Miley and Jen are still in line for their food.

"Sorry, Ollie." I apologize. I didn't mean to zone out. This situation just sucks as hell.

"It's okay. So, how are things going with your new lady?" he asks, curious as always. I roll my eyes. I make sure she's still in line before I reply: "It's nuts. I don't even really like her. I'm going to break up with her."

"Are you kidding me? Why? She's the hottest girl in school and I know how much you like hot girls!" Oliver says, almost appalled, arms in the air. If he talks any louder the whole school can hear him.

"Come on, Oliver, that was me last year. I'm looking for something serious. And Jen ain't serious!" I explain, hardly believing myself that I just said that. I was scared for a year of a relationship because my ex tore my heart into pieces.

"No, you're looking for something serious with Miley." he corrects me. As if I wouldn't have known that myself.

I shake my head. "You know me too well, Ollie."

"Lils … you're obvious about it! And you even told Joanie and me. So, it's an easy conclusion for me. You like Miley, that's why you can't concentrate on having 'something serious' with Jen." he says. I sigh in defeat. He is so right. How can he be so darn right?!

"Are you going to tell Miley?" he asks. I shrug. I don't know.

"I'm not sure. Maybe someday … she has a lot going on right now and I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable around me." I say. Uh oh … was that too much information? Well maybe he didn't catch up with it.

"You know more than I do, do you?" he asks. Okay, so he did catch it. But knowing Oliver he won't bug me with it when I tell him it's none of his business.

"Yeah but … she trusted me with this one so … sorry, Ollie. Not for anybody else to know." I tell him. He nods. Good, that's my Ollie.

And the conversation ends just in time. The two girls are back. Miley sits down next to Oliver, not even bothering to look at us and Jen plops down right beside me, immediately attacking my lips. Okay, I can't do this to Miley; I really think she's not cool with this situation.

I break the kiss and ask her: "Miley, are you uncomfortable with us kissing?"

She looks up at me and right back down at her food. "No."

Oh, yeah, I forgot. In school she's the shy little girl. She really has to get used to the people here. I better talk to her after school. Oh, speaking of after school, soccer starts today and I am sooo glad!! My lips curl up in a smile unconsciously.

"What are you smirking about?" Jen whispers into my ear, placing her hand on my knee, which brings me back to reality again. "Thinking something naughty?"

She slides her hand up my thigh but I quickly take hers in mine and entwine fingers, making sure she won't try anything else. I whisper back: "Actually I was thinking about soccer practice."

"Oh, right … I'll come check you out and then we can fool around in the locker room when nobody's there." she says, a little louder this time. I think she wants all the attention to herself. I try hard not to blush at this thought. Oliver clears his throat and Miley just keeps staring at her food.

Well, at least I can break up with her at the practice later. She's a bit annoying, I tell you. I'm really ready to have a relationship again, and if not with Miley, maybe with a girl who's not so … I don't know … feisty? It almost creeps me out. Was I like her last year?

---

Soccer practice, finally! I should be running laps, but I'm standing at the side with Joanie; Oliver just went to the bathroom. They promised to be there at my first practice. Don't ask me why, it's a ritual of some sort. I wonder where Miley is?

Joanie would be in the team as well, but she's pregnant. I think she told the gym teacher and the soccer coach. We're talking.

"So, I heard you're breaking it off with your new flame already?" Joanie tells. I roll my eyes. Ollie can't keep anything from her, can he?

"Yeah, I am. We don't … roll on the same wave-length, you know? I don't like her." I tell Joanie now as well. I'm just waiting for the next part.

"_And_ you like Miley, right?" Bingo! Right what I was talking about. I nod. "Yeah … "

"Keep your head up, Truscott! She'll eventually find out that she's crazy about you, too!" Joanie says. Wow … Joanie has never been so nice to me. I'm impressed.

"Thanks, Polumbo." I reply and give her a small smile. Wow, I think I might actually be friends with Joanie some day.

"What's with the chatting, ladies?! Lilly, move it!!" the coach yells over to us. I roll my eyes and start running and speeding up.

I like being out of breath and knowing that I just worked out. Not to mention it makes me feel free like a bird. Sometimes I wish I could fly … wouldn't life be so much easier if we could all grow wings and fly? Just flying away from everything …

---

As soon as I leave the field my still-girlfriend runs up to me and throws her arms around me, but pulls back slightly since I'm sweaty and probably slightly stinky. I better get this over with quickly.

"I'll meet you up as soon as you have taken a shower, Lil, okay?" she says. I shake my head … here goes nothing.

"Listen, Jen … no. This isn't working for me. I'm sorry but I don't want to play those little games." I say, looking at the ground. Why am I even trying to sound nice? I should just say 'Get lost, bitch' and leave … okay, maybe that would be a bit too cold.

"What are you talking about? You loved our little love-adventures!" she complains. I look up and recon her eyes are angry.

Something about that sentence makes my stomach cramp. "Love-adventures? Love? You wouldn't know what love is if it bit you in the butt, Jen!" I snap at her. She doesn't know love, she simply can't! I'm mad.

"Are you breaking up with me?" she asks, shocked. I nod. "Yes. This is over!"

"Why?" she's helpless, her eyes are watery and now she looks hurt. I soften my facial expressions and sigh. "I like someone else. I'm sorry."

Slap! Ow! That was my cheek … her hand collided with it just now. Why do chicks always slap you when you break up with them?

I hold my cheek and glare at her. Tears a streaming down her face now and she looks hurt _and_ angry. "You used me!" she accuses me. What? _I_ used _her_?

"And what the heck do you think you were doing, huh?" I counter, continuing to glare at her. I don't like it if girls slap me, it makes me mad.

"Me? You don't even know what I was doing! You don't even know how I felt! You bitch!!" she screams and turns around, stomping away angrily.

"Slut … " I mumble. Should I feel sorry now? I mean, she's kind of right … no, I won't feel sorry. It's for the best. For her and for me.

---

I'm walking out of the dressing room and meet Oliver and Joanie. Why do I have this strange feeling someone is missing?

"Miley isn't here … " I state, a bit sad. "She promised she'd be here for my first practice."

"I'm sorry, Lils. She said she had to go home. I tried asking why but she wouldn't tell me. She just said it has nothing to do with you and Jen." Oliver tells me, patting my back.

I hope everything's okay with her mother. I just hope she's not disgusted with me. "I'll go home."

"Bye, Lilly." they both say in unison. I walk off. This sucks.

---

I plop down on my bed. It's a habit I like to do, isn't it? Anastacia's 'Left Outside Alone' is blowing through my speakers in full volume. Great, now I feel guilty about Jen and that song is triggering it! Whatever, I feel with the song as well. I think one day I'm going to scream it out to my parents, especially to my dad. Idiot!

I decide to text Miley … or am I being too intrusive? No, I can't be … I haven't talked to her properly in a week. Besides, I'm being concerned.

_hey miley_

_everything ok home?_

_lil_

I hit the send button. Should I have told her about my break-up with Jen? No, I don't want to talk about me; I want to talk about her. I lie back down onto my back and sigh. Crap.

I sing along to the lyrics: _"All my life I been waiting for you to bring a … fairytale my way … been living in a – "_

I'm cut off by my phone vibrating right next to me. I quickly read it.

_mum's not well. call u later_

_miley_

Okay, now I'm really concerned …

**A/N:** So much for Jen … she's out of the way now, will there be Liley soon? ;D Please leave your thoughts!


	8. Sun

**A/N:** Thanks again for the nice reviews, here's chapter eight! And sorry for the waiting, I don't have a lot of time because of school and dancing, but I finally found some time to upload the next chapter. Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Sun

The buzzing of my phone suddenly wakes me up. I didn't even realize I dozed off. Before I answer I check the watch. 5Minutes. I don't look at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Lilly."_

A smiles creeps to my face. What is she doing to me? "Hey, Miley. What's up?"

"_Life sucks, Lilly."_ she sighs into the phone. I'm concerned again, immediately.

"You want to talk about it?" I offer. It's the least I can do. She sounds sad.

"_Yeah … my mom's getting sicker every day. She can hardly eat anything anymore because she throws up every time she tries, she can't sleep because she has headaches. I hear her cry every night. It's like a never ending nightmare."_

I can make out sobbing. "Please don't cry, Miley."

"_I can't help it anymore! My dad will probably take her to the hospital, maybe even today … I don't want her to go there, though because … "_ I hear louder sobs. I'm completely quiet until she continues:_ " … because I'm afraid that she might not come back!"_

She breaks down and starts crying bitterly. I can't even do anything but listen and say things. I would love to wrap her up in a comforting hug now. The poor girl; I even feel tears stinging in my eyes. Oh how I would love to make all her pain go away. Can't something like a miracle happen and make her mom recover?

"I'm so sorry … " It's all I can say. I don't know what to say in a situation like this. I can't tell her that her mom'll get better again because we both know it's a lie.

"_Am I being selfish for not wanting her to go to the hospital?"_ she asks me in a small voice. I almost chuckle. "No, silly. That's fine. She's your mom; nobody wants their mom to be taken away from them."

"_I don't want to lose her."_ she admits, still sobbing. A tear rolls down my cheek. This is such a fucking helpless situation. I say: "I wish I could perform magic … I could make it all better."

It got a chocked chuckle out of her. _"You're so cute, Lilly. Thank you."_

She said I'm cute!! She really did! Oh my god, I feel like running around my room like a maniac. But I'm not supposed to feel happy about this right now; I have to concentrate on Miley!! Stupid Lilly …

"I'm just trying to help." I tell. She sighs, but then answers: _"Talking to you already helped, thank you so much."_

"Anytime, Miley." I reply and smile again. She changes the subject quickly: _"So … how are things going with Jen?"_

I laugh a dry laugh. "We broke up."

"_What?"_ she sounds surprised and … relieved? Was she jealous? No, Lil, you're just having your hopes too high. _"When? Why?"_

"Today after soccer practice … I don't know, I didn't really like her, you know. I don't even know why I got with her in first place." I explain to her. It's the third time today, isn't it? Oh, like it matters …

"_Yeah, I get it. You two were just not meant to be."_

True … so true. "Yeah." is the only thing I can reply. She sighs again, then says: _"Sorry, Lilly, I gotta go. My dad's calling me for dinner. Thanks, again, for making me feel better."_

"I didn't do anything, but … you're welcome. See you tomorrow, Miley." I say.

"_You did, you're a friend. See you, Lilly!"_

I hang up and throw my phone away. I'm glad she's not too upset anymore. But the thing with her mom really sucks. Maybe she'll stay strong and survive the cancer. On the other hand … the doctors said she won't. No, I can't think negative about this!

"Lillian!!"

And here is my trouble. Bring it on for today …

---

I walk to my locker and meet Oliver and Joanie there already. Miley's locker is someplace else, that's why I usually don't see her in the morning.

"It's the single Lilly Truscott arriving at school! Anybody care to hook up with her?" Oliver teases me and smirks. I punch him in the shoulder playfully. He knows exactly who I'm after.

"Lil, come on, I was kidding! Where's your girl-candy, anyways?" he asks. I raise an eyebrow at him. "Her locker is not here, Ollie! Remember?"

"Oh, right … I forgot." he admits, I shake my head. Hm, somebody was being a little quiet there beside us. Joanie didn't even say hi.

She looks a little pale if you ask me. "You okay, Polumbo?"

Now she looks a little greenish. "Err no … oh god, I'm gonna be sick!" she replies, covers her mouth and runs to the next bathroom. Oliver and I run after her. Is it the baby?

Since my best friend can't go into the girl's bathroom I go in to make sure she's okay. As soon as I enter I hear retching sounds.

"Joanie? You okay in there?" I ask. I hear another retching before she answers: "Guess so."

A few moments later she flushes the toilet and comes out of the cabin. I rub her back slightly. "Is it … ?" I ask, pointing out to her stomach. She nods. She goes to the sink and rinses her mouth, washes and dries her hands. I just stand there and watch. What else can I do? It's the morning sickness.

We walk out together; Oliver immediately wraps her up in a loving hug. I wonder if I can hug Miley like this one day. With the same love and passion radiating.

"You okay, Jo-Jo? Should we sign you out for today?" he asks, concerned. Joanie smiles and shakes her head. "It's okay. I promised my parents I can go through school and the baby at the same time."

It must be really hard for her. And she could even stop it. But I think an abortion is as hard as keeping a baby. I mean, the guilt that runs through you afterwards. I couldn't handle killing an innocent person if it's not entirely necessary.

---

I have Chemistry now, yay! One period where I'm alone with Miley plus, we're lab-partners! Actually I have no idea what we're supposed to do; I just always do what Miley tells me to do. Yeah, I let her control me. Okay, only in Chemistry, but it's fun, I don't even have to think and she doesn't seem to mind.

"My dad took my mom to the hospital yesterday." Miley tells me. I can see her eyes look frustrated but she tries to be strong. I look at her. Poor girl. "Are you going to be okay?"

She sighs a long sigh, staring at the table, but then looks back at me. "I guess I have to. I mean, she's obviously in better hands there, right?"

"Yeah." I agree. They can help here there. An idea pops into my mind. "Hey, you wanna go to the beach after school? You know, get your mind off of things?"

"Sure, I'd love to!" she answers and gives me a smile again. It's a weak smile, but it's not a fake one. We go back to concentrating on our Chemistry work.

---

I wait in front of the school for Miley to show up. We don't have a lot of periods together, but a lot of free periods, which is not so bad, either.

The happy couple walks up to me. "Lils! Waiting for someone?" my best friend asks and grins a knowing grin.

"Yeah, Miley and I are going to the beach." I reply. They walk by and Oliver gives me a high-five; Joanie shakes her head.

"Have fun at the beach, girls!" he says and they walk off. I look after them for a short while. My attention is back to the hallway soon, though. I already spot Miley. She looks dazzling today. Her outfit never shows her real emotions. She knows how to hide it. She's wearing jeans shorts and a light-punk top which is hugging her slight curves. Yeah, she's a little skinny.

I stop my daydreaming about her when she opens her mouth to say: "Ready to go?"

"I was going to ask the same thing." I reply. We start walking to our destination.

---

We head to Rico's first to visit Jackson. He smiles and gives us a short wave. Miley excuses herself to the bathroom and I go to the bar.

"Hey, Lilly!" he greets me. Wow, he looks so much happier than Miley, but he also lives with them, right? Men just don't show their emotions as much.

"Hi, Jackson." I greet him back and give him a smile. He looks around shortly then leans in a bit and says quietly: "Hey, uh, I have to thank you for cheering up my sister so much! I mean, I've been trying and trying but she was so upset before she met you. She cried at home almost every day. But … ever since she started hanging out with you she's been a lot happier. I mean, she still has occasions where she just breaks down you-know-why … "

"I know, um … you're welcome, I guess. I don't do much but talk to her. We get along really well. And to tell the truth she's made my life a lot happier as well. I have problems as well at home." I reply. He nods and gives me a smile again, then nods towards somebody.

I turn around and see Miley walking back to us. She stops beside me. "Hey, Jackson!"

"Hey, Miles. Two bottles of water?" he asks her. She nods and he hands them to us. I didn't exactly ask for water but I realize I'm thirsty, so I don't mind. Jackson quickly whispers: "It's on the house … don't tell anybody!!"

"Thanks!" we say in unison. We face each other and smile, then start walking somewhere else.

I'm not sure where we're heading, just along the shore. We don't talk; just swim around in our own worlds, in our own thoughts. I think Miley has to sort out a lot. I spot some huge rocks and walk over, sitting down on one.

It's heated up from the burning sun, so it's warm on my butt. It's a really beautiful day today. I open the water bottle and take a mouthful of water, swallowing it quickly. Ah, refreshing. I watch Miley sitting down next to me, leaning back and supporting herself on her hands, arms stretched out. A slight breeze blows through her hair. I have the feeling that if I move I'd ruin the moment and the beautiful sight right beside me.

After a few moments of silence she finally breaks it: "I never thought I'd end up in California."

I smile. "Maybe it's destiny?" She turns her head to face me. Uh oh … did I just say that out loud? I blush slightly. She giggles. "Yeah, maybe it is."

"Are you at least feeling a bit more comfortable around here?" I ask. She looks back out to the ocean. "Yeah, I have. I mean, not too much at school, but … I do feel better here … thanks to you."

"Me?" I ask her, surprised. "Miley, what did I do?"

"I don't know. You were nice to me when others weren't. You picked me up from nowhere when others left me there." she says. I know what she means.

"Right back at 'cha." I reply. She looks at me again. "Even my friends back in Tennessee let me down. I called them up a few times but they wouldn't listen to me. They just kept asking what LA is like, if I met any celebrities or if anything interesting happened. When I tried to talk they found an excuse not to talk to me. I'm disappointed, you know. It doesn't seem like the miss me at all … when I miss them so much."

"Hey, don't worry about them. If they are really your friends, they'll come around." I tell her.

"Are you sure?" she asks with hope in her voice. I smile reassuringly and reply: "Yeah, I'm sure."

**A/N:** I don't have anything else to say than … please leave your thoughts! ;D


	9. Falling Apart

**A/N:** Wow, thank you guys again sooo much for the nice comments, you make my smiles even broader =) Enjoy chapter nine!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Falling Apart

Miley and I are on our way back to Rico's. We've been by this rock for three hours and we were just talking. About everything that came to our minds. And we were not talking about our parents, especially not Miley's mom. But we don't talk now, we just walk.

The sand beneath my feet is warm and soft. I look at Miley; I wonder if her skin is soft? It's not like I've never touched her before, but it was either just her hands or a hug where clothes were in between.

"Lilly? Are you there?" Miley's voice snatches me out of my thoughts. "Huh?" I ask, dumbfounded. She giggles again, which makes me smile unconsciously.

"Now that you finished checking me out … I wanted to ask you a question." she tells me. I blush. Oh my god, did I really stare? Oh god, oh god, oh god … this is so embarrassing!!

"I-I didn't um … w-what did you want to ask?" I ask, flustered. Me, nervous, I hardly ever am like that. Miley just makes feelings like that show up. I can see she's holding back laughter, but she's focusing again: "I wanted to ask if you'd like to come visit my mom with me sometime this week?"

My blush is gone in less than a second. "Your mom?"

"Yeah, I want her to meet you. Come one, please say yes, Lilly?" she begs and sets up a puppy-face. How can I say no to this? It's the most adorable expression I've ever seen on anybody. "Okay, okay! You win, Miley. I'll join you."

"Yay!" she yells out, happy, and throws her arms shortly around me, but pulls back. She has a bounce in her step now as she walks beside me. Do I really have this effect on her? Wow …

I'm actually a bit excited about meeting her mom. I mean, I do have to mean a lot to her because I'm sure she wouldn't just let anybody visit her mom, especially in the hospital. I feel honored.

"When do you want to go?" I ask her. She rethinks her schedule; her index finger is lying on her chin and she's looking towards the sky. She always does that when she thinks about something; it's kind of cute.

"What about Friday after school?" she suggests. I don't have anything planned, so I guess that's okay. "Alright."

"Awesome!" she looks glad that I'm joining her, which makes my smile even broader.

---

"So, the doctors said my mom's already doing better. I am so glad." Miley tells me, we're almost at her house, where we will meet her dad. It's the first time I'll meet him, and her mom, actually, so I'm a bit nervous … again.

"That's great, Miley. I'm happy for you." I reply. She flashes me a smile, then says: "Wait here for a sec, I'll get my dad."

"Okay." She runs into the house and I wait. I examine it a bit from outside. It's pretty much the same size as our house, basically pale or white colors on the outside, wooden door and window frames. It has a lovely little front porch and they have three trees in their garden … well, at least in the part that is visible to me right now. I like the atmosphere right now. The soft light shining on this property makes it look inviting.

I hear footsteps; a few seconds later Miley and her dad walk through the door. He is a handsome, tall dude, looks a bit like a cowboy, actually. His hair is awesome; it looks like he invests a lot of time to make it look like it. He walks up to me, and I extend my hand.

"I'm Lilly Truscott. It's nice to meet you, sir." I introduce myself, looking him straight in the eyes. The same as Miley's; at least I know where she has them from. He gives me a light smile and shakes my hand. He has a firm grip and his hands are a bit rough. He replies: "Robbie Ray Stewart, Miley's daddy. Nice to meet you too, Lilly."

He lets go of my hand and leads us to the car. I hop into the backseat; Miley takes her seat right beside me and gives me a small smile. She's trying to encourage herself with it, I know her by now. She is nervous and worried. She confessed that she hasn't even visited her mom yet, because she's scared. Scared that it's the last time she'll see her.

I rub Miley's shoulder to encourage her. She is strong, and I'm sure she'll feel a lot better when she knows her mom is doing okay. It's what she told me, right? She turns her head towards me to meet my gaze, then she takes my hand into hers. It's cold and sweaty; I can tell she must be really nervous about this. I give her hand a light squeeze. I still like the feeling of her hand in mine. It makes my fingers tingle in a pleasurable way.

She lets go though when her daddy looks back at us and says to her: "Everything will be fine, bud. Your mother's doing a lot better."

Miley just nods, then looks out of the window. My hand is still tingly from her touch. I don't want that feeling to go away. Well, I didn't want her to let go in first place, but she told me about her dad before; him being a homophobe and that he's always suspicious if Miley even looks at a girl … which I think is stupid. I mean, he seems like a nice daddy and everything, and now that I've met him I can agree with Miley on that, but he's being … overprotective? For God's sake, we're in LA! There are so many gay couples here! He has to light up a bit …

---

Did I ever mention I don't like hospitals? They're so … cold and there are so many sick people in here. I can't really say I combine hospital with death, because I don't, but it always gives me goose bumps … knowing a person could die in here any second. On the other hand, hospitals just try to help people, and they also already did. Whatever, I just don't want to stay in here for too long.

We walk along an aisle Miley's mom's room. A few people are out here. Some people from 'outside' visiting their friends. Some of them look at us, but the rest ignores us. I guess they're used to visitors.

We stop in front of room 579, _"Susan Stewart"_ stands right next to the number. I take a quick glance at Miley again, she looks pale and weak, almost like she's about to cry any minute. Poor girl. Mister Stewart opens the door slowly and I let them in first.

Miley rushes over to the bed and starts sobbing. I take a good look at the room. It's quite large, plain white walls, a small TV, it has an own bathroom and shower, Miley's mother is the only one in here. I step a bit closer to the bed to see her.

There are a lot of tubes and machines she's affiliated to and she looks weak. I'm not sure if she's wearing a wig or if it is her real hair, but it's dark and thick; her face is pale and her cheeks are sunken; her whole visible figure is thin; her fingers are boney. But her eyes are pure and friendly and she has a smile on her face like nothing is wrong with her. I think she's really glad that Miley's here.

Miley is leaning over her, still sobbing, Misses Stewart is stroking through her hair, trying to sooth her, adding some quiet words I can't really make out. I feel bad for watching this, it's like I'm intruding a mother-daughter-moment.

"Don't cry, baby girl. I'm fine." I can finally make out something she says. She's as bad at lying as Miley is. Everybody in here knows she's not fine, but she's trying, and that's good. Also, I can make out a Tennessee-accent in her voice, similar to Miley's. I think Mister Stewart also has this accent; I didn't really concentrate on it, earlier.

I watch him walk up to his wife and kissing her on the forehead. "Hey, darlin'." He greets her. Yep, he definitely has an accent.

Again, I feel bad for disturbing this family-moment. Miley is trying to calm down. Now Misses Stewart spots me and asks: "Are you the famous Lilly?"

Famous Lilly? Jackson used the same phrase, didn't he? "Yes, ma'am. Lilly Truscott. I'm honored to meet you." I introduce myself for the second time today. I walk up to her and shake her hand. She gives me a warm smile, it reminds me of Miley.

"No, it's an honor to meet you, Lilly. Miley's told me so much about you. I'm really glad you two became friends so quickly. And I also wanted to thank you for being friends with Miley." she says. I like her immediately.

I almost blush at that statement, actually. "Miley's is one of the nicest people I've ever met, Misses Stewart, no need to thank me." I smile at her.

"I like her, Miley. Make sure you keep her as a friend." Mrs. Stewart tells her daughter, then turns to me: "Make sure Miley behaves in school so she makes more friends like you, Lilly."

I chuckle. She's funny. I like her as well; I wish I had someone like her as my mom.

"When are you coming back home, mom?" Miley asks, still worried. I want to put my arm around her shoulder, actually, but I don't want her dad to think something, so I stand still.

"The doctors said if everything stays as stable as it is now I can come back home on Monday." she tells us. Miley's face lights up and it looks like a big weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Mister Stewart also looks relieved and I feel really happy for them.

Misses Stewart turns to me again: "You can come visit us anytime, Lilly."

"I will, Misses Stewart!" I say, happily. Yeah, I'd love to go to Miley's one day. I mean, she's been at my house several times now, but I've never seen hers from the inside. I wonder what Miley's room looks like.

"Now girls, I don't want to take up all your free-time. Go home and have fun together, watch a movie or invite friends, okay? It's plain-boring in here. I'm just really glad I saw you guys." Misses Stewart tells us. Wha .. ? But we just arrived!

"Mom, are you kicking us out?" Miley teases. I'm glad she's happy again. Mrs. Stewart just smirks at us. "I said go, make yourself a cozy afternoon. We'll see each other on Monday, okay?"

"Alright, mom." Miley gives in and hugs her mom. A cozy afternoon with Miley? How can I say no to that? I shake Mrs. Stewart's hand again and she gives me the same warm smile. "Like I said, Lilly, it was really nice to finally meet you. Feel free to come over to our house whenever you feel like it, okay?"

"Sure." I reply and then let go of her hand. She turns to her husband: "Robbie, I want to talk to you for five minutes in private."

Miley and I walk out. The first thing Miley does is sighing a happy sigh and grinning. She looks so relieved and happy. She looks so adorable!

"Happy?" I ask her, smiling. She laughs out loud shortly and then looks at me. "Ya think?"

---

Miley invited me over for a movie night, I'm really happy. I decided to go home shortly, though, to check on my mom. Fridays she's usually home early. Miley just makes me forget my worries at home, she's better than any drug I ever tried.

I walk up our driveway and I can make out voices from inside. Oh no … mom's not alone, is she? Is dad here? Or did she go completely mental and called the police because of her paranoia? I walk through the door.

"Why the fuck are you drunk, Heather?!!"

Oh great, my dad. And oh great, my mom's drunk again. I kick off my shoes. Way to ruin a great afternoon.

"Because of you, Paul, you piece of shit!! Because of you and your slut at work!!" my mom yells at him. I walk into the living room. A half-empty bottle of wine is standing beside the couch. My parents are standing in the middle of the room, they both look angry. My mom's crying.

"Bullshit!! She is not a slut, she's just being nice to me, not like you, you ungrateful bitch!!" my dad yells back, his face is flushed red because of anger.

"Don't call me a bitch, who is sleeping with his co-workers?" my mother screams, tears flooding down her cheeks. I just stand there. What should I do? Would they hear me? I have to try! "Dad?"

He ignores me and I think he ran out of arguments. He slaps my mother so hard that she falls on the ground. I step back in fear, not daring to say a word. What did he just do? Now I'm close to tears.

"You want me outta here, Heather? Fine!! You made it clear now!! I'm out, and I'm never coming back!! Go to hell!!" he shouts and storms towards the front door. But he stops and looks at me, just as angry as he looked at my mom. He scares me so much right now! I want to run away, but I can't move. I'm paralyzed. How can he hit my mom??

He eyes me for a few seconds, but then he storms out of the house. What just happened? I look over to my mom; she's sitting on the floor, holding her cheek and crying. I crawl over and hug her; she hugs me back.

Now we're both sitting on the floor, crying. He's never coming back, is he? Maybe it's better for mom …

"We'll go through this together, mom, right?" It's more of a rhetorical question. We have to! But I'm sure we can make it. My dad is an asshole and we both know it.

"Of course, Lilly … don't cry, we can do this." she reassures me and squeezes me tighter. I let my tears just flow. I can't let things fall apart now; we have to keep them together!

---

I didn't go to Miley's on Friday. I told her the whole story on the phone and she sympathized, she even said she'd come over but I said I'm going to be fine. I spent the weekend with my mom – my sober mom. It was great, actually. We did some mother-daughter things around the house, we even talked. The weekend turned out quite okay in the end. My mom said that she's getting a divorce. Dad may have made her happy once, but I think this is really the best for her. I'm going to help her through this.

It's Monday and I'm at home, school is out already for today. Miley hasn't been at school today. I'm worried. Maybe she is sick or something. Oliver didn't know anything as well. I just hope nothing happened to her or her mom. I tried to call her, but I stopped trying after the second time. I'm sure she has a good reason and I'll find out soon.

My mom's in the kitchen, yes at home, she's washing the dishes, we just had dinner. It's nice with her around; her real, sober self. I'm sitting in front of the TV. Oh yeah, we had soccer practice today, again. It was great; it felt even better knowing my mom will be there after practice. I was in the zone today, really.

I hear the doorbell ringing and I yell: "I'll get it!!" before I get up and walk over to the door and open it. It's dark outside but I could make out that person in the darkest room.

"Miley … are you – " I'm cut off by her leaping into my arms, crying. She looks like she has been crying the whole day.

"I don't want to live anymore, Lilly!!" she cries and breaks out in sobs. I hold her close to me, she's close to collapsing, I can feel it. "Miley, don't say that! What happened?"

I have a bad feeling and I think I know it already; I don't really want to hear it.

"M-my mom d-died l-last night."

**A/N:** Alright, that's it for chapter nine. I had two family members who died of cancer as well, unfortunately it's too common … I really wish Miley's mom would've lived as well (crazy, it's my story, why not cure her?) … but let's face it, it really isn't the reality if the cancer is already in an advanced state … I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways, please leave your thoughts!


	10. Hold Me

**A/N:** Yeah, poor Miley … do you think Lilly can make her feel better in this chapter? Thanks for the reviews again!!! Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Hold me

"Lilly, please, make it stop hurting!" Miley cries, she's squeezing me hard now, fighting not to fall. I support her until she finds a little strength to stand on her own there. Tears are still streaming down her face. I take her arm and put it around my shoulder, then I support her and help her into the house. I yell into the kitchen: "I'm in my room, mom!!"

I don't wait for an answer; I just drag us two up the stairs. It's not so easy, since I'm supporting mostly all of her weight. I mean, she's not fat or anything, not at all, but I'm not the strongest person either. I work out, but I don't do bodybuilding. I know she's trying to help, but the continuous crying is draining all of her strength. Oh god, I feel so sorry for her.

I open the door to my room and help her over to my bed, where I lay her down, carefully. She looks destroyed. Actually, more than that, she's pale, her eyes are red, and her imaginary walls are down. I sit down beside her and push back some hair, which fell into her face.

"Talk when you feel ready to. I'll be back in a moment." I tell her. I'm a bit worried she ran away from home and her dad doesn't know where she is. I better inform him. I run down the stairs, where I grab the phone. Wait … I haven't even got her home number. Great …

I grab the phone book and search through the numbers. Everything is happening in double speed! Are they already in that phone book?? They moved here like what, three months ago? Shit!!

I smash the receiver into the docking station. Shit! I can't leave Miley alone up there!

*riiiing* Great, who's calling now? I pick up: "Hello?" I try to sound calm.

"_Lilly? Is this you?"_

It's a male voice. Miley's dad? "Yeah, this is she."

"_Is Miley at your place?"_

"Mister Stewart?" I ask, carefully. I don't want the person on the other end to be a stalker or something. Oh great, now I'm being paranoid, just like my mom.

"_Yes."_

"Um, yes she's here. She's upset." I tell him.

"_I know, and I'm sure you already know the reason."_

"Yeah I do." I sigh. The poor girl.

"_Good to know she's with you. She said she can't take it anymore at home and that she's going to your place. I just called to make sure she arrived safely."_

"She did, Mister Stewart. Do you want her home at some time?" I ask.

"_I'm sure she won't want to come home tonight, so … is it okay if she stays with you?"_

"Yeah, sure. If she changes her mind, though, I'll bring her over."

"_Thank you, Lilly."_

He sounds a bit relieved, knowing his daughter is not out in the streets. I can make out in his voice that he's trying to keep himself from crying. "I'm sorry about your wife, Mister Stewart. She was a lovely woman."

"_Thank you, Lilly. You're a good friend. I … I gotta go now."_

He hangs up. I think his voice cracked. I know men always try to stay strong, so I don't wonder why he just hung up. The family needs time to recover from that shock, and I hope everybody recovers from it. Oh no, Miley!

I run to the stairs but my mom stops me: "Lilly, who was at the door and at the phone?"

"Miley's here, she's dealing with something huge right now. She's probably going to stay the night. And her dad called asking if she was really at my place." I explain and want to start running again, but my mom's still standing in the way.

"What is she dealing with?" my mom asks. Can she be nosy some other time? I don't want to explain everything to her, nor do I know if I even have the permission to do so. I roll my eyes, impatiently. "I'll tell you, mom, but not right now. Okay?"

"Alright, fine. Go to your friend upstairs. But promise to tell me?" she asks. Again, I roll my eyes and I storm up, yelling: "Yeah, promise!"

I run into my room, close it and lock it, just in case my mom intends to disrupt anything. Miley is still lying on the bed, eyes open, she's still sobbing quietly. I sit back down on the bed beside her. She looks at me expectantly.

"Your dad just called to make sure you arrived safely." I tell her. She frowns. "I don't want to go home." Her voice is hoarse. I smile lightly. "I didn't say that. You can stay as long as you want to."

She nods, then sits up. Her hair is a mess, her eyes are puffy and red and her face is tear-stained. She's scanning my eyes for something, but I don't know what. Comfort? Reassurance? Sympathy? I decide to give her a small smile again, letting my eyes match that smile. She seems comfortable with it because she starts talking: "I'm sorry I'm invading your time with your mom … I just couldn't stay at home, it was driving me crazy. I wanted to talk to you because you always make me feel better."

Aw, how cute. I'm glad I can make her feel better; I just hope it works again this time. "No, don't worry about my mom and me. You tell me what happened so I can start making you feel better."

"You're so sweet, Lilly … " she lets me know and then blushes shortly, but her expressions turns into a sad one very soon; her blush remains though. She stares onto my bed and mumbles: "C-can you hold me?"

Me? Holding her? Err, she needs it, Lilly, just do it, for god's sake! It's not like I haven't hugged her before. I move closer and put my arms around her shoulders, carefully pulling her a bit closer. She wraps her arms around my waist immediately, cuddling up a bit. My heart starts beating faster. Oh god, I love this feeling. No, I have to comfort her now, I said I'm going to make her feel better, not make myself go crazy about her. But she feels so warm up against my side. Everything inside me starts to tingle. I could really get used to this.

"The hospital c-called at five in the morning t-today." she starts, and she starts to sob again. I stroke through her hair encouragingly, waiting for her patiently to continue. "They said t-that they already f-found her, d-dead, in her b-bed. She d-died in her s-sleep."

A few harder sobs after that, but she's not breaking down, I think she cried enough for one day. She starts playing with the hem of my shirt to distract herself a bit. The only problem is I love how she does it; I can barely contain my excitement that she's doing this, but I can't flip out now! I just can't!

Miley's vulnerable voice brings me back to reality: "I'm just g-glad she died in p-peace."

She sighs, a bit relieved. I think that was all she had to say.

"Thank you for listening to me, Lilly. It already made me feel better." she tells. I smile. I'm glad. I'm happy when I can help by listening. "No biggie, Miley. You know I'll always be there for you if you need me, right?"

She squeezes me tighter and buries her face into my shoulder, sobbing again. Did I say the wrong thing? "Thank you so much, you're the best friend I ever had!"

Aw, she said that in such a cute tone, it even makes tears sting in my eyes. I look up to the ceiling. I love the feeling of Miley in my arms, knowing that I'm a good friend to her. I could definitely get used to this.

I let the time fly by, no talking. We just sit there, cuddled up; no words are spoken. Her sobs are getting less and less with every minute passing.

I take a glance at the watch. She should get some rest. I'm going to ditch school tomorrow to be there for her. Mom doesn't have to know anything about it. Oh, mom, she still needs an explanation.

"Miley? You can use my bathroom to take a shower and so. I'll go get you some clothes you can sleep in, alright?" I tell her, she lets go and looks at me, gratefully. I give her another smile.

"Thanks … I almost feel bad for having nothing in return." she says, blushing a bit. I shake my head, grinning. "You're a friend, Miley; you don't have to make up anything to me."

"Okay … " she replies and we both get up. I walk over to my closet and get her sweatpants and a comfortable T-Shirt, then I get a towel and hand it all to her. "There you go. Oh, by the way … my mom's being nosy, should I make up a lie?"

Miley shakes her head. "No, don't. Tell her what's going on. She'd find out eventually, anyways."

"Okay. I'll go talk to her, because I left her a bit clueless earlier." I tell and scratch the back of my head. Miley flashes me a smile and then turns and goes into the bathroom. I walk downstairs.

"Mom?" I yell out. It's not too late, she should be up.

"On the couch!" I get my answer, so I walk over there and plop down beside my mom. She's watching TV, no alcohol in optical range. I wonder if dad's slap – which we still have to report – made her change her mind about alcohol so radical. Or maybe she's still drinking, I'm not really sure.

"Sorry for being in a hurry earlier. I can tell you what's up with Miley now, if you want to." I say. Mom turns her attention from the TV-screen towards me now; she even turns the volume down. "Speak." she requests.

Okay, make it quick and painless … more or less: "Her mom died of cancer last night."

My mom's face turns expressionless. I think she got what I just said but … I just think she doesn't know what to say. I'd be speechless too.

"Wow that's um … shocking news. Is she okay up there?" my mom asks concerned. I nod and answer: "Yeah, more or less, I guess. She cried the whole day, you know."

"Well then I'll sign you out for tomorrow, huh?" my mom suggests. I look at her, surprised. "Err, mom?"

"What? As your mother I order you to take care of that poor girl up there … and by the way I know you and your habits with your friends; you would've ditched school tomorrow anyways. Am I right?" she explains. My mouth falls agape; I hope the drunken side of my mom never reappears!! I hug her fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!! You're the best, mom!!"

"I know, I know. Now go back up, make sure she's fine. I'll be home at six tomorrow, probably." she says and I jump up, happily. "Night, mom!!"

"Night, Lilly." she replies. I race up the stairs, into my room, take out my phone and dial Oliver's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Oliver!!" I shout into the phone. This is so cool, spending a whole day with Miley!!

"_Chillax, Lilly! What's up?"_

"Don't count me in for tomorrow at school, I'm staying at home." I tell him, grinning like a freak. Now I'm really excited about tomorrow!

"_Hey, that's unfair! You're ditching and don't invite me?"_

Stop complaining, boy! "I'm not ditching, my mom's signing me out!" I defend myself.

"_How come?"_

"Not my story to tell, but you'll find out eventually. Promise!" I reply. I hear Oliver sigh on the other end.

"_Okay, fine. Have fun tomorrow … "_

I know he's a bit sad, we always used to ditch together, but I really, really want it just to be Miley and me tomorrow. I feel like I'm obsessed with her! "Ollie, can you by a chance get my homework for me and drop it at my place?"

"_Lilly? Homework? I'm sorry, I'm not sure if I'm speaking to Lilly Truscott right now!"_

"Doughnut, just do it!! We'll ditch next time together … pleeeaase!!" I'm so excited I'm practically yelling the whole time.

"_Yeah, yeah, I'll drop it off. I gotta go now. See you, Lils!"_

"See ya, Ollie!" I shout into the phone and hang up. I grinned throughout the whole conversation, actually. I never thought I could grin that much anymore.

Miley walks out of the bathroom dressed in my clothes. Wow, it makes her look sexy. Those grey, loose sweatpants and that oversized black-and-white T-Shirt really fits her. She looks really cute!! But she still has this sad expression on her face, of course. Like that will go away quickly.

I hop up from my bed and walk to the bathroom. I can't sleep in my day-clothes, that would be way too uncomfortable. "I'll get ready for bed, too … um … do you want me to sleep on the couch so you can have the bed to yourself?"

"No, no!" she replies hastily, it almost surprises me, she blushes again. "P-please stay, I don't want to be alone."

My cheeks turn red as well. A night with Miley? In the same bed? How did I get so lucky? "Okay." I reply and walk into the bathroom, quickly brushing my teeth and putting on my PJs … done.

I walk back into my room. Miley is sitting on my bed, looking a bit unsure of what to do. She's examining my room. I walk over and pull back the sheets. I yawn; boy, I'm more tired than I thought! I hop under the covers in hold the sheets up for Miley to crawl in, too, which she does immediately.

"Night, Miley." I say and turn off the lights. "Night." she replies, sleepily. Like I could sleep right now, my heart is beating in super-speed. I'm nervous. Can't anybody tell me with which action I'd cross a line? Should I hug her? Would she let me hug her?

I feel Miley's hand on my back and I turn over to face her rapidly, a bit too fast probably. She immediately snuggles close to me and I automatically wrap my arms around her upper body and pull her in closer a bit. I breathe in her scent. She smells good.

"Is that okay?" she asks. I smile. That's more than okay! "Sure … " I reply. I hope I don't suffer from a heart-attack because my heart is beating so fast, and I can feel butterflies in my stomach. I'm pretty sure the smile won't go away so soon and I'm glad. Maybe she does like me back in just the same way.

I soon drift off into a deep slumber.

**A/N:** Don't you guys also think it starts to smell like Liley here? ;D Please leave your thoughts!!


	11. Only she matters

**A/N:** Wow, thanks again for the reviews, guys. I'm pretty sure you're going to like the next chapters, they're a little more … fluffy ^^ But it won't be fluffy for the rest of the story, don't worry, I have things planned. Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Only she matters

I slowly wake up because the sun is shining right into my face. I crack my eyes open and blink a few times. Plus, something is tickling my face. I look down to find the source. Miley's hair. I think I haven't slept this good in years! Looks like I held her the whole night, wow …

The sight of her sleeping form is adorable. She looks like a sleeping angel, really. A troubled angel, but still an angel. It almost forces a smile onto my face, but I like to obey that force. She's so beautiful. I don't want to let go of her, but my growling stomach is winning the battle of staying here or making breakfast.

I sigh and carefully unwrap myself out of our hug. I don't want to wake her up. I sit up and rub my eyes. Feels good to sleep in. My mom's at work, already. I get up, use the bathroom and go downstairs to fix us some breakfast.

Hmm … I don't really know what Miley wants for breakfast. Just cornflakes? But she's a Tennessee-girl; does she want ham or bacon? I could cook up some ham-and-eggs? Maybe I should wait until she gets up and ask her? Why is making breakfast so hard? I scratch the back of my head and stare at the counter, thinking about what do prepare.

"Mornin' … " I hear a croaky voice behind me. I turn to see a sleepy Miley walking into the kitchen. I smile at her. "Hey, did I wake you?" I'm a bit worried about it, because I really tried to be quiet and everything.

"No, no … don't worry." she ensures me. I lean against the counter. "Sleep well?" I ask her. She nods. "Yeah … though … "

I raise an eyebrow. Though what? Was I too close? Didn't she feel comfortable? Did I do something?

"Lilly, I didn't tell you everything yesterday … there's still something on my mind I have to get out." she tells me. What possibly could there be? Is she pregnant??? Married?? Or is she suffering from cancer as well? No, she's so young, this can't be!

"Talk to me." I encourage her to speak. I'm so curious what it is! She looks nervous, but looks me directly into the eyes. "I think I like you, Lilly."

Is this a dream coming true? Did someone up there here my prayers? Or am I still dreaming? She likes me? She really, really likes me!!! This day is going to be the best day ever, after all. I smile happily, walk up to her and wrap her up in a hug. "I like you, too, Miley."

But she doesn't seem too pleased with that answer: "No, Lilly … I _like_ you! Like-like! I have a crush on you!"

Thanks for confirm my thoughts, Miley. I think I pretty sure knew what she meant the first time. I reply: "Yeah, and I _like_ you, too."

Her arms shoot around my upper body and she squeezes me. I must've been blind if she really liked me. Blind, stupid Lilly, that's me! But I guess waiting was worth it, right?

"What do you want for breakfast?" I ask her, she loosens her grip a bit. "I don't care, I'll have anything."

"Okay … are cornflake okay?" I ask, walking over to the cupboard. I hear her answer: "Cornflakes are perfect."

I take the box out, along with two bowls. I hear her sitting down at the table, and starting to talk again: "I was a bit scared of telling you, you know? I'm all new to this dating-girls thing."

"Yeah, I know, don't worry." I reply, taking the milk out of the fridge and pouring some into the bowls. She continues: "And um … do you mind if we take it slowly? I mean, it's not the only thing I have to deal with … "

Miley drifts off. I take the bowls and walk over to her, placing one down in front of her. She's thinking about her mom, I know. She has tears in her eyes again. I sit down on the chair beside her and take her hand in both of mine, which brings her attention back to me. I smile at her. "I won't rush you into anything, Miley. I promise. You set the pace."

I raise one hand up to her face and cup her cheek with it, stroking it with my thumb. Her skin there is very soft, I like it. She smiles at me now, which makes my heart skip a beat. "Now eat your breakfast."

"Thanks." she says and starts eating, almost stuffing the food into her mouth. Did she eat anything yesterday? I pick no, I mean, who could possibly eat at an occasion like that?

After we both finished our breakfast I ask her what she wants to do next.

"You know, we haven't finished watching Wall.E." she suggests, I grin. A cute little family-flick to start the day with? Why not? "Well then let's move it to the couch!"

I set up everything quickly, Miley just keeps watching me while I'm doing so, until I finally sit back down beside her and press the play-button. Um … she said she wants to take it slow … can I cuddle up with her? I mean, it's not like we didn't do that last night …

I scoot closer and my question is answered by her immediately cuddling up to my right side. Not too much, still enough for now. My put my right arm over her shoulders and I take her left hand into my left one, slowly intertwining our fingers; her right hand is lying on my stomach and her head is resting on my shoulder. I like this position, I could really get used to it whenever we're watching a movie.

I really love that movie, it makes me feel happy. And watching it with Miley makes me even happier. I smile I can feel Miley relaxing more and more as we continue watching the movie, I figure she was still really tense from everything that happened last night.

Oh, I remember this scene, it was the cutest! Wall.E's and Eve's first 'spark' together and then Wall.E floating around love struck. Right this moment Miley shifts a bit and I feel her watching me, I turn to face her and ask if everything's okay, but she catches me off guard as I feel her lips on mine lightly and just shortly, but I returned the kiss anyway. A warm feeling spreads in my whole body and my mind is shutting out completely right now. I'm floating somewhere between 7th Heaven and Paradise … okay, however that is possible, Miley just made it happen.

Oh … my … holy … wow … she kissed me, didn't she? I mean, it was a peck on the lips but … a kiss as well, right? Okay, I think I don't just feel but also must look like the little love struck robot in the movie now. Miley shifts back into our original sitting position and leaves me completely stunned. I have never felt like this before when I kissed somebody … actually I've never felt like this in my entire life!

I lick my lips unconsciously. I think I might start to like kissing her, and I mean really like it. I can't wait until she's ready for more. I wonder what it will be like. Maybe I'll faint of happiness. Is that possible? Overdose of endorphins? Well, I'll probably be the first to find out.

---

I watch the credits roll over the screen. I don't really want to move right now; holding Miley is such a great feeling. But at the same time, I want to go get out of the house; it's such a beautiful day today.

"Miley?" I ask carefully, she turns to look at me, letting me know that I have her attention. I also face her, then continue: "You know what? Let's go take a drive … see where we'll end up, what 'cha say?"

She thinks about it for a few seconds. "To get our minds off of things? Sounds great! But let's get dressed first … "

I smile and get up from the cozy position we were in, taking Miley's hand in mine and leading her upstairs. She takes her clothes from yesterday, but before she can escape into the bathroom I ask her: "I can lend you a T-Shirt or something. You don't want to wear that one."

I mean, I'm not the kind of person to wear a T-Shirt two days in a row, would you? I think it's a bit gross. She turns toward me and replies: "That'd be nice."

I open my closet and pick out a T-Shirt that might fit her and her style, it's a tight one, basically white with black imprints, so I actually also take my advantage of it. I toss it to her and then she completely disappears in the bathroom. I get dressed in my room at the same time – denim capris, a white long-sleeved T-Shirt and over it a light-yellow, short one.

Miley comes out of the bathroom, I take a good look at her in my T-Shirt. It fits her perfectly, along with her rather tight jeans. I take a mental picture, it looks really cute. We both finish off getting ready by brushing our teeth and doing our hair. Miley lets her curls fall lose over her shoulders, I decide for a ponytail.

"Ready to go?" I ask, she nods her head enthusiastically. She starts heading downstairs, I follow her. We go out of the house, I lock the door and we hop into the car.

"Do you actually know where you want to go?" Miley asks me, I smirk. "Nope, no plan. Just … somewhere out of town. I mean, we do have the whole day, right?"

Miley nods shortly and I even get a little smile out of her. "Yeah, right."

---

Okay, so I drove us out of town to some beach; I've never been here before but it looks as cozy as my sofa. I park the car and hop out, breathing in the fresh air. Ah, so much better than in the city.

"So … what is this place?" Miley asks me. I shrug. I really have no idea. "Don't know … it just looked nice. Let's check it out!"

"You really are something, Lilly. Kidnapping me here, not knowing what could be behind the next corner." Miley states. I grin. "Yeah … that's me when I'm happy, Miley … and you're my source of happiness."

Miley blushes politely and we start walking. It's not too hot today, but still a beautiful day, almost no cloud is visible and the sky has a fresh blue color today. I love it.

I remember the last time we were at the beach together, only a few days ago. Miley's mom was still alive and I even had the honor to meet her. I wonder if I can make Miley feel better by being there for her all the time. I want to take care of her every minute of every day; I want her to be happy. I wonder if I can do that. She means so much to me.

I have my eyes on a spot, a shady spot beside a little cliff and I walk straight towards this place; Miley just follows me. As we arrive there I say: "Yep, I like this spot. Wanna sit down for a while?"

She looks around for a bit, I do the same. I haven't noticed yet, there are absolutely no people around. It's mostly quiet; you can hear the waves crashing on the shore and some birds singing. Every now and then there's a car driving by on the near-by road. It is beautiful, and we're all alone here.

"Sure, let's stay here." she says and we both sit down beside each other. The shade is cool but not cold, so it's just perfect. I take Miley's hand in mine and examine it a bit. It's slim and delicate, soft skin, quite long fingers. I start tracing my own fingers along it and I'm immediately lost in my thoughts as I do so.

She really is the best thing that ever happened to me, it just feels like it. I know I have Oliver, but he's more like a brother, you know? He still is also someone who I can lean on when I'm down, but Miley … she's someone new and exciting and it seems like she's sucking all of my worries out of me and throws them away.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug, lying down on my back and pulling her with me, her arm is draped over my stomach and her face is lying close to mine. I smile at her; pushing back some hair. "You're cute." I add.

Miley blushes again and buries her face into my shoulder. "Thanks." she replies. I breathe in deeply. Yeah, this is what life should be all the time. Lying around with Miley, free of all worries. She's the only thing that matters right now.

There's a long silence now. I feel like lying here all day, I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't have to talk or anything, just lie here. I smile and close my eyes.

---

I can't really remember how long we were lying here now, it feels like ages but I'm really hungry. I sit up slowly and Miley does the same. I straighten my hair a bit and then stretch a good long stretch. "You hungry as well?" I ask her.

"A bit." she replies, I smile at her. I really don't feel like completely getting up but we have to, right? Okay, just one thing I want to do before I end this little trip here. I smile and lean in close to Miley, but let her close the distance at her own pace. To my luck it doesn't take long and we kiss for the second time. A little bit longer than before, still, it's nothing more than our lips pressed together tenderly. Mmm … how I love to do that.

She pulls back and we both get up. I wipe the sand off my clothes and stretch my hand out; waiting for Miley to take it … she hesitates. What's wrong? Did I do something wrong? My look must've been worried or something, because she starts explaining: "Don't worry, Lilly … I'm just not used to being 'out' yet, since you're the first girl ever I really had a crush on … "

"Right … sorry." I say, pulling my hand back. Maybe that was a bit too much for taking it slowly … though it's turtle-pace. Oh, who cares, she likes me and that's what counts.

"Don't be. I'll get used to it." she tells and I smile at her. "Alright … let's go grab something to eat and then go back home, okay?"

" 'kay." she replies and we start walking. I really don't want this day to end. It's so perfect. I mean, maybe not entirely for Miley, since the thing with her mom happened, but she looks a lot more relaxed than yesterday and that's not a bad sign, is it?

**A/N:** Too much fluff? I just thought it Miley and Lilly needed the happiness after all the drama xD Please leave your thoughts!


	12. LOVE

**A/N:** Alright ^^ Since you guys enjoyed all the Liley fluff in the last chapter … here's some more ;D And thanks for the nice reviews, guys =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

L.O.V.E

It's evening; the rest of the day with Miley was relaxed. We stayed at my house, talked a bit, watched two movies and cuddled up the whole afternoon.

I'm walking out of the kitchen with two glasses of water in my hands; I'm heading towards the couch where Miley is sitting on, we're watching TV but it's getting boring a bit. My mom's not home yet, I hope she's not drinking.

I hand Miley the glass and sit down right beside her, as a thank you I earn a peck on the lips; my body starts tingling instantly at the contact.

I take a sip and put my glass down on the table. "Are you going to school tomorrow?" I ask Miley, curiously. I don't know if I could bare a day without her at school, especially now that I know she likes me back.

"Probably … thanks to you I feel a lot better." she replies, sighing quietly. I turn to look at her, her eyes are watery. Aw, poor Miley …

"I wish my mom were here … she'd be happy for us." she says, defeated, hurt … sad. I put my hand on her cheek and stroke it with my thumb. "As long as you don't forget her she'll be with you, Miley. I'm sure she's watching us and is happy for us."

A tear rolls down her cheek and I wipe it away, smiling at her encouragingly. But she doesn't seem to look happier about it. Was it the wrong thing to say?

"You're probably right, Lilly, but my dad … I know what he thinks about same-sex relationships … I don't want him to be mad at me because I like a girl!" she admits. It hurts a little; she doesn't want this, doesn't she? I don't want to push her into this!

"Don't you want to be with me?" I ask her, softly, even though this question just took a lot of energy to ask. We just had the greatest afternoon ever! She replies quickly: "Of course I do, Lilly!"

A weight is falling off my shoulders, I'm relieved. She continues: "I'll just need your help again to get through this … "

"I'll always be there for you, you know that." I tell her. I know how it feels like having a family remember rejecting you. Though I'm sure her dad won't reject her completely, I'm sure he'll come around. I've met him and he doesn't really seem like the guy to just kick his daughter out.

"Lilly?" Miley asks, a bit shyly, which grabs my attention quickly. "Hm?"

"I know it's not even been a day but … I think I want a relationship with you … being with you just feels so right." she confesses, my jaw drops. She caught me off guard, but … "I'd like that as well." I reply.

Miley leans in again and kisses me softly. Real world, bye-bye. I need her so badly; I don't ever want her to leave! She's the girlfriend – I think I can call her that now – I care about more than anything! I hold her in place with my hand on her cheek. I don't want her to end that kiss soon but it looks like she's not intending to either. Her hands find my hair, stroking through it, pulling me in even closer. Our lips begin to move against each other. I think I'm melting now. A desire is growing deep within me, I need more but I don't want to push her! I want to taste her, but I'm not sure if she wants it as well … should I let my desire give in?

My little conflict is solved though, by someone knocking at the front door. Unfortunately, I do not like the way it was solved and I really don't want to stop kissing Miley, but I have to, so I break the kiss and sigh. "Sorry." I say, Miley also looks a bit disappointed. Maybe she _did_ want more?

I get up opening the door. I'm not really expecting anybody; did my mom forget the keys or something? "Hey, Lils!"

Oh … Oliver … and Joanie. I almost have to force a smile; they did not pick the right moment to show up. Oh well, they did it anyways, might as well be glad they're here. "Hey, you two."

I let them in and walk back into the living room to Miley; she looks at me, questioningly. "Ollie and Joanie." I explain, shortly. She nods; I sit back down next to her and wait for the two to join us.

"We brought you your homework, even though I still don't get why _you_ actually do your homework _at home_ and not tomorrow _in school_ … " he drifts off as he spots Miley beside me, then smirks: " … or maybe I do. Hey, Miley!"

"Hi, Oliver. Hi, Joanie." she greets them. I roll my eyes at my buddy and I think he gets it now that he disrupted something. On the other hand, I didn't talk to Miley about telling Oliver. I mean, I tell him everything! I can't just keep this from him, but I also don't want Miley to feel uncomfortable with him knowing. Great.

"I'll get you guys something to drink. Miley, join me?" I ask her, I have to talk to her about this. She looks a bit confused but gets up anyways. I turn to Oliver and his girl and tell them: "You guys sit down, make yourself comfortable."

As I walk into the kitchen and make sure the two outside can't hear me anymore I start: "Miley, I know I don't want to rush you into things, but you also know I tell Oliver everything. So if you don't want me to tell him please tell me now!"

She thinks about it for a second. "Well … you can't lie to your best friend, can you? And I'm sure – since he is your best friend – he'll figure it out anyways so … let's tell him. I trust him that much by now."

I grin and pull her into a bear hug. "I can promise you he won't tell anybody. Oh, except for Joanie, he tells her everything."

Miley lets go of the hug and raises an eyebrow. "And Joanie will tell her best friend as well or what? Lilly, this is a never ending circle!"

"What? No, no! If we talk to them they won't spill it to anybody, but I can't guarantee you that Oliver won't tell his girlfriend because he always does!" I reply. I know what she's concerned about because it's the same way the word was spread that I'm gay and now the whole school knows. Just … I'm a little more confident than Miley about this. But by now I trust Joanie a lot more. I mean, yeah, we never really were friends and everything, but ever since she started dating Oliver we did talk a lot more and she is a good person.

"Can you promise me that she won't tell?" Miley asks, almost with a puppy-face. I smile at her. "I promise."

I peck her on the lips and get two more glasses of water for Oliver and Joanie. We go back out to them; they're sitting on the couch, talking and smiling, just looking like a happy couple. As soon as Miley's more comfortable with us two, I can also be like them and I'm looking forward to it.

I sit down on the couch, Miley right next to me; closer than usually which makes Oliver give us a suspicious look. "So, ladies, what've you two been up to today?"

I smile at remembering what we did. Miley's confession, the movie, the beach, our first kiss … which was interrupted by them. I reply: "We went to the beach."

Miley takes my hand in hers and gives it a light squeeze. I intertwine fingers and let our hands rest right beside my thigh, so it's not visible for the other two.

Oliver just nods, knowingly, then smirks. What is he up to? "You know, Miley … " he starts, oh god, this can't be good. I roll my eyes. " … the beach is Lilly's way to get the ladies."

That is so not true! I mean, it's nice of him to try to … hint out that I like her? But he could've also said that she's the first girl I ever took to such a beautiful, deserted beach, which would've been the truth. It would've been more romantic. He is such a doughnut!

Miley blushes and I shake my head. "Save it, Ollie. You're wasting your energy." I reply and hold up our entwined hands, smirking. His mouth falls wide open – priceless expression!!

"Congratulations Truscott, Stewart." Joanie says and gives us a smile. "Thanks, Joanie." Miley says, I just keep smirking and Oliver still sits there as if he saw a ghost.

"Did this happen today?" he finally asks. I simply nod at him; Miley is still pinkish around the cheeks. My best friend gets up and hugs me, whispering in my ear, so only I could hear it: "I told you she's not entirely straight!"

I pat his back hard and reply: "Geez, thanks doughnut! Now I believe you!"

I let go of him and he still smirks at me, sitting back down next to his girlfriend. I get serious again: "But um … can you guys please not tell around in school? Miley's not too comfortable with other people knowing about this."

"Sure, Lil. I promise." my best buddy says and gives us both a warm smile. Joanie also nods and adds: "Yeah, me too."

"Thanks." I reply, then I look at Miley. She looks relieved; so adorable. I give her a light kiss on the check and she blushes again. Even more adorable.

"I think we better leave you two alone. Have a nice evening!" Ollie says and gets up, pulling his girlfriend up with him. We say our goodbyes and they're gone again, which leaves me with Miley alone, again.

---

"Done!" I yell. Miley and I just finished the homework. I haven't done homework on time in years, this is funny! With Miley's help I finished in no time; she is really good in school. Maybe she could help me get my grades up a bit.

"We should do homework together more often." I suggest, grinning. Miley nods in agreement, then adds: "Definitely."

I lean in again but her buzzing phone disrupts another moment. Dang it! I wanted to continue this kiss from earlier.

"Hi, daddy." she greets the person on the other end. I sigh. I'm sure he's going to ask her to come home. I keep listening curiously.

"I'm okay … yes, dad, I'm fine." Miley rolls her eyes. "You cooked me dinner? Thanks, daddy! … yeah, I'll be over soon … bye."

Yup, I was right, she'll head home. But I'll see her tomorrow, so that's okay. We both stand up at the same time; she just flashes me a small smile. "I'd love to stay, you know … but my daddy cooked me something special for dinner, something to cheer me up and I can't miss it."

"Sure, go ahead. We'll see each other tomorrow, right?" I want to make sure! I walk her to the door, opening it for her. "Sure!" she says and walks past me and I sigh, both happy and sad.

"Be safe." I say, she's already walking away, but turns around and smiles at me again. A happy smile, and I'm glad because I am the cause of happiness in her; and I know this because it reflects right back at me through her eyes. She runs back up to me and catches my lips in a searing kiss. This is a nice surprise, I have to admit. I kiss back immediately, holding her in place with my arms around her waist. I can't take it anymore, I want to taste her, now! She's driving me crazy!

I trace my tongue over her lips, begging for entrance. I need her, so much! Maybe she heard my prayers or something, she parts her lips and I slide my tongue into her mouth, slowly, I'm savoring every second of it. Her tongue shyly finds mine and she pulls it back as soon as they touch. I let her come again, and she does, not pulling back this time. 7th Heaven is close, I can feel it now. She makes me feel safe, she makes me feel complete. I start caressing her tongue with mine, wanting her to feel as much pleasure as I'm feeling right now. I feel her hands on the back of my head, pulling me in a bit closer. She likes what I'm doing. I start putting a lot more love and passion into the kiss, letting her know by loving little gestures with my hands and tongue. She deserves nothing less, she is my princess.

After a few minutes we break the kiss; we're both out of breath and oxygen is needed. Her arms are still draped lazily across my shoulders and she smiles at me. Her eyes are sparkling like the greatest treasure I've ever seen. I smile back.

"I really gotta go now. See you, Lil." she says and pulls away. It's the first time she used my nickname and it sounds really great coming from her. I decide to use hers in return as well: "Bye, Miles."

She walks away and I go back into the house. That was so incredible; I can't even put it into words. God, I'm falling for that girl and I can't help it. It feels sooo good inside.

I plop down on the couch and smile dreamily. I hear the front door opening. She's not coming back again, is she? A few moments later my mom walks into the living room and smirks at me. At least she's not drunk, but up to something.

"Hey, mom … what are you smirking at?" I ask her. What is going on in that head of hers?

"What a radiant way of saying goodbye to a friend." she states. Oh my god, I can't believe it. "You were spying!!"

"I didn't intend to! Plus, you were making out right in front of the house, it's not the most hidden spot, you know!" she defends herself, still smirking. I get up and she wraps me into a hug. I'm so glad my mom's not drunk; I think I couldn't handle that today.

"She makes you happy, huh?" my mother asks, I nod against her shoulder, smiling. I feel her hand stroking through my hair. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, mom. Just … don't mention that in front of her, I'll tell her because she said she wanted to keep it a secret." I tell her. We loosen the hug to look each other into the eyes and she replies: "Your secret's safe with me, honey."

I tighten the hug again. I think I've never been so happy in my life before and I love every second of it.

**A/N:** Good fluff again? Yay for Liley ^^ Please leave your thoughts!!


	13. Lucky

**A/N:** Hey! You guys rock, thank you all so much for the nice reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far … so here's chapter 13, and again fluff-alert ^^ Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Lucky

Happiest person on earth, coming through! Is it always so crowded in school or am I just paying attention to everything around me. The colors are literally shining back at me; wow … I don't even feel like dressing colorless. I'm wearing blue-jeans and a green and yellow T-Shirt, quite bright colors, actually. I don't want to attract attention, but I like it! I'm happy and I want people to know I am. Things are falling into place. My mom, Miley … it all fits!

"Hey, you two!" I greet my best friend and his girlfriend. They both smile at me.

"Looks like the shy girl is affecting you a lot, huh?" Oliver says, almost smirking. Oh yes she is; I just grin at him. She means the world to me. And here she comes, smiling shyly at me but beaming at the same time. Okay, Lil, just take it easy, she'll take it slow in school! Don't forget that!

"Hey, Miley." I greet her, closing my locker, then facing her again. "Mornin', Lilly." she greets back. Okay, awkward. You have a girlfriend and you can't … what, like touch her? Fantastic … I'll just walk her to her class. Oliver and Joanie go to their class. As least he has his first period with his girlfriend! I have to wait until chemistry!

"Soo … how was your dinner?" I ask, wanting at least a small-talk. Miley shrugs. "Okay, I guess. A little awkward though. Usually we talk a lot during dinner, but … we didn't have anything to talk about … at least it seemed like it, you know."

I nod. Yeah, reminds me of our dinners when dad was still there. When he was around I didn't want to waste my breath in front of him because he would've never listened or even intended to. I'm so glad he's gone.

"Hey, you could come over to my placer after school today, Lilly. My dad actually suggested that as well yesterday, since you're you know … helping me through a lot and making me happy." she asks me, almost blushing at the last part of the sentence. My face lightens up.

"Yeah, I'd love to! I'll just get rid of my schoolbag at home and then I'll come over." I reply. Miley's place, finally! I can't wait to check it out! I imagine it as inviting and friendly as her eyes. Awesome!

"So, here we are. Guess I'll see you in chemistry then." I say, almost wanting to lean in for a kiss; I pull myself together, ending up just smiling at her brightly. Miley does the same. "Yeah, see you then."

---

This day doesn't want to end! Finally I have my time with Miley as my lab-partner! I sit down at the desk; Miley's not here yet. I lay my left arm on the desk and my head face-down onto my arm. The right one is hanging down. I'm tired, I want to go home … no, rather go to Miley's and cuddle up with her in bed or something. I sigh. This is agony …

I suddenly feel something touching my right hand, something tracing along it lightly and it sends shivers through my body. Miley? I turn my head slowly and spot her, right beside me. She's facing the front, her head supported by her right arm and I see her left hand close to my right. So it _is_ Miley.

Her fingers trace along the back of my hand slowly and delicately, I feel goose bumps forming on my arm. They trace along my hand and a bit up my arm, moving to the inside, sliding downwards again, over my palm until her fingertips reach mine. We intertwine fingers after that.

She turns her head a bit to look me in the eyes and then she gives me a – for others not noticeable – smile. I think it's really just her eyes glistening, nothing more. I wink at her quickly. I want everybody else to disappear right now and the moment would be perfect, again.

"Miss Truscott, would you care to join this class as well?" I hear the teacher speaking up and my head shoots up immediately. Why, I ask myself, I don't really care about paying attention. Maybe it's Miley's hand in mine and everybody's attention on us. We slowly let go of each other.

"Yes, Mister Simpson." I grumble. He's so lame at teaching; it's not my fault I'm zoning out! Not to mention all of the other teachers who were tiring today. He glares at me shortly then continues talking a little about whatever we have to do. Like I care.

---

Okay, schoolbag is at home, I checked myself in the mirror like fifty times and I made sure I don't smell or anything. Perfect! What now? I'm standing in front of Miley's house, too scared to knock or ring the bell. Why? I have no idea. Her dad is nice, Miley is my girlfriend, Jackson is cool and he's not even home. For heaven's sake, Lilly, just move it and ring that dang bell!!

After another moment of debating with myself I finally manage to do so and the door is opened shortly after it. It's Miley's dad. He looks like he hasn't slept in days, not to mention he seems super-unhappy. He has all of my sympathy, I mean, what is it like to lose your wife? I'd be more than miserable if I lost Miley but what if I knew Miley for years and years? I'd kill myself. "Hello, Mister Stewart."

He gives me a small smile, even though it's artificial. "Hi, Lilly. Come on in." he greets me and I step into their house. It looks really cozy and it smells like cookies, mmmh. Looks like somebody was busy baking them in the afternoon. They have a lovely living room with a piano and a few guitars. Looks like the family loves music. The sofa looks comfortable as well, I wonder if Miley and I will cuddle up there one day.

"Miley's in her room upstairs. It's the first room to the right." Mr. Stewart tells me. I nod and walk up the stairs. I hear Miley's voice already from the first door, it's a slight bit agape; but she's not talking, no … I hear tunes, she must be singing.

I push the door open carefully. Miley's sitting on the bed, her back facing the door; I can make out a guitar in her hands. She's strumming the guitar, humming a few tunes. I lean against the doorframe and cross my arms, listening.

"_You used to call me your angel … said I was sent straight down from heaven … you'd hold me close in your arms … I loved the way you felt so strong … "_

She stops singing and also strumming. She turns her head to look out of the window and I can make out her profile. It is so perfect. And she's all mine. Maybe I should make myself noticeable, I can't just lean here all the whole afternoon without her knowing.

I finally break the silence: "It was beautiful." I try to be quiet and speak softly so I don't startle her, and it works. She turns completely now and faces me with a big smile on her face. I close the door.

She puts down her guitar as I walk over to her, taking a better look at her room now. I kind of imagined it like that, actually. Pale pink walls, a few abstract and colorful pictures on the wall – though I think they're quite beautiful –, wooden furniture – desk with computer, bed, closet – three guitars – and as much as I know about them … one electric, one semi-acoustic and one western guitar – neatly arranged, and she has a huge carpet on the floor, which looks fluffy.

Miley wraps me up in a warm hug and whispers: "Miss me?"

I giggle slightly. "Always." I loosen the hug and peck her on the lips. Mmmh, strawberries. She should definitely wear that lip gloss more often. Miley takes my hand and leads me to the bed, where we both sit down and kiss again, shortly.

"You really liked that little part of the song?" she asks me, blushing a bit. I give her a smile. "Are you kidding me? I loved it!"

"But it's not even finished … " she replies. Seriously, I'd be happy if I could even write a little part like that. I place my right hand close to where her heart is and say: "But it comes from deep in there … that's what makes it so beautiful. It doesn't matter if it's finished or not, Miley."

I recon her eyes getting a bit wet when I said that but her smile is growing continuously. "Stop being so sweet, Lilly, it makes me cry."

I realize her hand is still in mine and I lift it up and examine every inch. I trace my fingers along my gaze, starting from her wrist, over her palm all the way to her fingertips. I recon they are a bit red and rough from the guitar strings. I look her in the eyes. "Does it hurt?"

"No … I'm used to it by now … and I love playing the guitar so it'd be a good kind of pain." she answers; I smile at her again and start massaging the hand a bit but keep watching Miley, she just stares at our hands, her expression is neutral, though. I wonder if she likes what I'm doing.

Suddenly a question pops up in my head and I ask before even thinking about it: "How are you guys holding up, at the moment? I mean, with what happened with your mom … "

Her head shoots up. Uh oh … that was too soon, was it? "Miley, I'm sorry, I didn't think I - "

"Don't worry about it." she cuts me off. I close my mouth, listening to what she'll answer.

"Dad's a little better knowing that I'm okay. I mean, I hear him cry every night and I know he's hiding it when I'm around. He spends most of the time in the kitchen, actually. I think it's his spot to run away from reality." Miley explains. I nod. I still can't imagine what they must be going through.

"And Jackson … " Miley's voice gets my attention back to her, " … well … he's not holding up so well. I hardly see him, he's constantly at work, I think doesn't like to be here because home always reminds him of mom. He doesn't have a friend – or girlfriend – like I have you, Lilly, that's why I'm the one who can handle this situation the best. You make me so happy."

Now I feel tears stinging in my eyes. _She_ says _I'm_ sweet? No, no … she's so wrong. I lean forward and catch her lips with mine. I crave for that girl and seriously, I wonder how I made it without kissing her when I first spotted her. She's a really good kisser and lucky for me, we start the kiss a lot more heated than the last ones and we soon find our tongues colliding against each other. I let Miley take control from that point on and I like every second of it. The kiss is very sensual and intimate and very soon I feel she's leaning in more so I lose my balance and I'm forced to lie down on her soft bed. Our lips don't part once during this little process.

I feel Miley's right hand on my hip, holding me in place there, I'm not sure where here other hand is but it must be somewhere close to my head because she's supporting herself on it. My hands find her lower back and I slowly trace my fingers all the way up to her neck and back down to the hem of her shirt. I wonder if she lets me touch her skin. I let my fingers wander under her shirt, only a short bit – I don't want to push it – and I like what I feel. Her skin is very smooth and also hot. I feel goose bumps forming because of my touch and she sighs into my mouth. Now that I know she seems to like that I trace my fingers over her sides to her front because I'm curious if her stomach feels even better but she pulls away.

No, I ruined the moment! "Too much?" I ask, worried.

"Y-yeah … sorry I'm just … " she trails off. Her cheeks are red – not only from blushing – and her lips are plump, she's out of breath but it looks hot. I smile. It's my fault anyways. "You're not comfortable with it yet, I understand. Don't worry."

"I feel bad about this, I'm so sorry!" she continues. Now she's being cute again. I mean, I would've loved some more but … time will bring more. "Don't be sorry, Miley. I said I'm okay with it."

"Okay … but … a little more kissing won't hurt us." she states with a slight smirk and leans in again, her lips touching mine again but then …

"Girls! Dinner's ready!" Mister Stewart calls out. We both burst out in a short laugh. "Guess we should postpone this, huh?" I suggest and sit up. Miley keeps giggling and agrees: "Yeah."

But holy wow, how long have we been making out now? I mean, it felt like an eternity but … was it really that long? Oh, who cares, my stomach's growling, let's eat!

---

"Wow, thank you so much, Mister Stewart. The dinner was delicious." I give him a smile. Damn, I'm stuffed. I feel like I ate fifty plates. Okay, I had three helpings and both Miley and Mister Stewart were shocked that I am capable of eating that much … but I can't help it if the food is so delicious and that I was hungry.

"Thank you, Lilly. I'll make sure to cook some more next time you'll have dinner with us." Miley's dad replies and gives me a light smirk. I feel Miley's hand on my knee under the table. When I look at her she beams at me. I can't help it but smile back.

I suddenly feel my cell phone vibrating so I take it out of my pocked and pick up, without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"_Lilly? Where are you?"_

It's my mom. Since when does she care where I am? … oh yeah, since she's sober. I didn't call her to tell her that I'm not home this evening. "I'm at Miley's."

"_Could you come over soon? It's getting late and I don't want to be alone all the time."_

I sigh. "Mom, it's not late … "

"_Okay, maybe it's not. I just have to get used to the fact that you're out a lot, I didn't realize that back when I was … "_

She trails off. Yeah, she didn't 'cause she wasn't at home. "I know, mom. I'll be over soon."

"_Okay, bye honey!"_

"Bye, mom." I snap the phone shut and put it back into my pocket, then I roll my eyes and tell Miley, who's looking at me expectantly: "Mom wants me over. She's still a bit scared that she might … you know … "

Miley nods. My mom's scared that she'll lose control of herself and get drunk again, she confessed that to me. She said she needs me as a help to keep her off the alcohol. I think she needs therapy, I mean, it's great that she's holding up so far but you never know …

"Guess this means I'll see ya tomorrow at school?" Miley asks. We both get up and she walks me to the door. I hear Mister Stewart saying: "Miley was right, you make people feel better, Lilly! You can come over anytime you want!"

I smile and reply: "Thank you! Bye Mister Stewart!" Miley opens the door and walks outside with me.

"Did you see that smirk on his face when he talked to you right after lunch?" Miley asks me, I nod. "He hasn't smiled like that in days, Lilly. You're the greatest person, ever!"

My mouth drops a slight bit. Do I really have this effect on other people? Do I make people happier? Maybe it's just the Stewart family …

Miley wraps me up in a hug after making sure her dad is in the kitchen and not paying attention to us. "Thanks, Lilly." I return the hug and breathe in Miley's scent. I can't get enough of her, this is intoxicating. "No biggie."

Before Miley completely breaks the hug we share a quick kiss. "Maybe I'll tell my dad about us soon, he seems to like you." Miley says.

"I don't want him to hate me, Miley. You said he's a homophobe, even though he seems like one of the coolest people on earth." I tell her. She sighs. "I know he is and I also know he is a homophobe but … maybe now with … mom and everything … maybe he'll understand."

Wow, must have taken a lot of courage for her to bring up her mom. She looks sad by the mentioning of her mother. I cup her left cheek with my right hand and when she looks up at me I smile at her. "Do whatever your heart tells you. I'll be there for you if your dad decides to be stupid about us."

"I know, Lilly … thanks. You better go now." she tells me and returns the smile. I nod and turn, starting to walk but I look back at her. I'm really falling for her. She's actually going to risk telling her dad that we're dating, how can I not love her for that? She smiles at me again, melting my heart with it even more. How did I get so lucky?

**A/N:** And another chapter finished ^^ I like writing this story and I hope you guys still like it so please leave your thoughts =)


	14. School

**A/N:** Sorry, it took a little longer to upload this one, I'll hurry with the next chapter, promise =) Thanks again for the reviews, guys. Enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

School

"Lilly, time for school!!" is the first thing I hear today. Same routine all the time, huh? I sit up and stretch. Ah, feels nice. I slept well again, actually, cool. I check the watch – alright! Enough time for breakfast!

"Lilly?!" my mom calls out again. I smile unconsciously; it's almost two weeks in a row that my mom's not drunk. Nice. "I'm up!!" I reply and scan through my drawers for something to wear. I decide for a blue and black striped shirt with dark jeans; then I almost run downstairs and sit down at the table next to my mom.

I look down at my plate. "Ham-and-eggs? Aw, mom!" I love my mom's ham-and-eggs, she has her secret little formula which makes them really, really delicious! The last time she made that meal for me was … god, I can't even remember … almost two years ago? My mom smiles at me and I start eating. Wow, it's perfect!! "That's really good!" I let her know.

"Thanks, honey." she replies and eats hers as well. After a short moment of silence my mom starts again: "You know I'm gonna see the therapist today."

My head shoots up in surprise. She was really scared of taking that step. "Seriously?" I ask her, still a bit unsure if she'll actually do it. My mom nods and adds: "Seriously."

I give her a large grin. Everything is falling back in place! I'm so convinced that the therapy will help her. "Awesome, mom! You looking forward to it?"

She laughs shortly: "I don't think so, Lilly. I'm nervous, actually. But it can't get any worse."

"That's right, it can't as long as you really want to go through with it you'll be fine." I reassure her. I'm really glad she's taking this step. Maybe I should go see the therapist with her. But then on the other hand … Miley is my therapy, so I don't need any.

We both finish out breakfast and I also finish off for school – brushing teeth, combing hair, packing schoolbag with homework I actually did. I walk up to my mom again and wrap her up in a hug. "I'm so proud of you mom. You're the best."

Her grip tightens around me. "Hey, you believe in me, Lilly. That's what's giving me hope. Love you, honey."

I blink back a tear. "Love you, too, mom." I reply and let go. Great day today, I can tell.

---

"Oliver!!" I yell out to my best friend, who's standing by his locker, as usually. We always meet up here and I'm glad that this habit hasn't changed so far. He greets me with his typical Oliver-smile and a bear hug. "My best buddy! How are you today?" I ask him and return the hug.

"I'm great! You seem to be great, too, according to that big smile plastered all over your face." he replies. The only thing I do is continue to grin at him. We break the hug but he leaves one arm around my shoulder. "Is Miley the cause of your happiness?" Oliver asks.

"Mostly yes, but … my mom's starting therapy today! And I didn't even have to force her or anything!" I almost shout out, I'm so excited about everything at the moment.

"That is so great, Lilly! You know I always told you things will work out? Believe me now?" he asks, teasingly. I drop my head in defeat, but still grinning. "Yeah, you doughnut, I believe you now."

"Where's your girlfriend?" I ask Oliver, I didn't notice until now. Aren't they like … never apart?

"Oh her folks had a Polumbo-family-get-together-thingy yesterday. They do that sometimes." he explains. But speaking of the devil – or in Oliver's case, angel –, there she is, walking up to us. And right beside her my angel, Miley.

"Good morning, ladies." my best friend greets the other two. I just grin at them. Well, technically I only beam at my girlfriend and she grins back, hugging me quickly – too quickly unfortunately. Right next to us I catch a glimpse of Oliver and Joanie sharing a short but passionate kiss and I have to admit, I'm jealous that they can show their love for each other and we can't. Well, technically, we can … Miley just doesn't want it … yet. I just gotta be patient.

---

"I'm telling you guys, the day's been boring as hell." I groan at the lunch table. Free period, with Ollie, Miley and me, of course. Unfortunately, Joanie doesn't have any free period with us. I'm just happy Miley is with me. I feel my girlfriend's hand in mine, suddenly, under the table and she flashes me a small smile.

"Not just your day, Lils. It's been endless. I mean, Mister Corelli might be cool and everything but … I think I looked at the watch every minute in his class and I swear, time was going backwards at some times." Oliver says.

"Come on, you two … " Miley starts now. I think she's the only one who seems to think school is bearable. She continues: " … see the bright side of school for once! You get an education … you meet new friends … and it brings people together."

Miley looked at me with an incredibly cute look at the last part of the sentence it just brings another smile upon my face. I squeeze her hand lightly. Oliver's voice seems really distant now, even though he's sitting right beside us: "Yeah, you're right Miley … I met Joanie and – "

The voice interrupting Oliver, though, is loud and clear: "Oh my god. I can't fucking believe it!"

I look up at the person. Jen. I thought this drama was over. Yeah, I was cruel and everything and maybe she did feel more towards me than she … showed me. I ask: "What now, Jen?" a bit annoyed.

"Don't you 'what now, Jen' me! I can't believe you dumped me for a nerd!" Jen exclaims, loudly and Miley and I immediately let go of our hands, hoping no one noticed. "What are you talking about, Jen?"

"Oh you know exactly what I'm talking 'bout, Lilly. You and Stewart! I should've seen it from the start. Those smiles and glances all the time. I may not know you a lot but I think I notice small things when I seem them!" Jen explains. My mouth falls agape and Miley just stares at her plate. Were we that obvious? Maybe I can talk her out of it. "Jen, really, first of all, that's none of your business what's going on in my or Miley's life and what isn't and – "

"So there is something going on between you?" she interrupts me, rudely, raising an eyebrow and I stand up quickly from the chair, ready for everything. By now everybody in the cafeteria is listening. Great, just what we needed right now. I glare at Jen, still angry that she interrupted. "You didn't let me finish Jen, I n– "

"Save it, Lilly." Miley interrupts me now and stands up as well, taking my hand into hers again. She turns to Jen: "You're just jealous that Lilly doesn't love you like she loves me!"

No, Miley, that's just what Jen wanted! My ex smirks a devilish smirk. "Oh … so I was right and you're having a little thingy. Well, Miley, wait until someone even prettier than you will run by and Lilly can't keep her eyes _and_ hands off of her!"

I'm appalled, that is so not true!! Miley could've been a thousand times uglier than Jen and I still would've chosen her over Jen. "You little bitch!" I curse at her but before Jen can reply anything Miley jumps in again: "First of all, Jen, Lilly is _not_ like that, I know her a lot better than you do! And second of all, this is not just a little thingy that's going on!"

She turns to me and looks me directly in the eyes. "I love you, Lilly."

The whole cafeteria is quiet now. I think they're waiting for a reply or something but I'm speechless. Miley really did it; I can't form a proper sentence right now. For heaven's sake, Lilly, say something!! She loves you, girl!!

"You two are hopeless. I warned you, Miley!!" Jen says again and storms off, her face red with anger. If that should've been a threat it was lame, I guess she ran out of words. Miley literally punched her in the face with the last line.

"Way to go, Miley! Nice work scaring that crazy girl off!" some random guy in the cafeteria yells out. After that I hear other boys and girls complimenting Miley and also telling her that it was brave that she said that in front of everybody here. But Miley seems to ignore it, she's still focused on me and I'm still standing here as if I was struck by lightning. Why can't I say something?

Miley's expression saddens and she lets go of my hand, walking out of the cafeteria. Why am I still standing here and just look after her? Oliver's voice snaps me back to reality: "Lilly, for heaven's sake, you're letting the girl of your dreams run away!!"

He's right, he's so damn right!! I blink and run after Miley. To my luck she hasn't come far, yet, a few feet away from the entrance of the cafeteria, out in the hallway. "Miley!" I yell and grab her hand. When she looks at me she has tears in her eyes.

"Save it, Lilly! This really doesn't mean anything to you, does it?" she snaps at me. What is this all about now? "What are you talking about?"

"You and me, Lilly! It doesn't mean anything to you! I poured my heart out in there and you said nothing! I thought you'd always be there for me?!" Miley replies with a raised voice and tries to break free from my grip, but she doesn't succeed.

"I was caught off guard in there, Miley! You caught me off guard! You surprise me every day in my life, you amaze me more and more with everything you do and say! You, standing up to Jen in there, shocked me but in a positive way, Miley. And by confessing that you love me I adore you even more! Miley, I was overwhelmed with thoughts I couldn't even sort out in there. You mean everything to me! You and me means more to me than anything in my life … I fell in love with you the moment we met, how could this not mean anything to me?" I tell her. Her anger seems to be washed away completely now, replaced by a loving smile. She steps closer and catches my lips in a searing kiss.

Are we out to everyone now? I smile into the kiss; guess we are. I break the kiss shortly to say: "I love you!" but Miley is eager and continues attacking my lips, but before she does she replies with an: "And I love you, now shut up!"

"Miley??" another familiar voice brings us back to earth. We break the kiss again only to see Miley's brother, Jackson, standing a few feet away, looking at us in disbelief. Boy he's changed ever since the last time I saw him. I haven't been to Rico's ever since that day on the beach with Miley … he looks so miserable, his eyes are red and puffy and I think he also hasn't slept in days. He used to dress a bit more colorful but now his clothes are completely black and he's hunching a bit. He looks worse than Mister Stewart and Miley the night she told me.

"I thought you told me everything, Miley! Is this your way of saying you're breaking the trust?" he asks and walks away. Miley didn't tell him? I also thought she told her brother everything! They are so close!

"I'll meet you after school, Lilly, okay? I gotta go talk to my brother about this." my girlfriend says and runs after him. "Jackson, wait up!!"

I walk back into the cafeteria. I'm still a bit shocked about Jackson. He seemed like this optimistic boy, he always had a smile on his face when I saw him. And now, not even his eyes were those friendly ones … they seemed pale and lonely. Poor boy …

---

I'm waiting at the school's main entrance for Miley. Joanie and Oliver already left because Joanie didn't feel too well. I spot Miley walking up to me, Jackson right beside her.

"Hey Miley, Jackson." I greet them. Miley walks up to me and greets me with a peck on the lips; Jackson just gives me a light smile.

"I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression earlier, Lilly." Jackson speaks up. I look at him and he continues: "I was just shocked that Miley didn't tell me that you two are in a relationship. I'm happy for you two, really."

"No need to apologize, I didn't get that impression at all. And thanks, Jackson. It means a lot." I reply and smile at him.

"I'm going to the beach to keep Jackson some company. Wanna join?" Miley asks and has this adorable puppy-dog-face expression, so I actually can't say no. "Sure!"

---

Miley and I sit at the bar at Rico's, sharing a smoothie, our legs brushing against the other. My skin on hers gives me goose bumps, but I like it.

"Jackson also promised not to tell my dad." Miley tells me, I only nod as a reply and take another sip. She continues: "So it's up to me now to tell him." And she sighs.

"Take your time, Miley. Don't rush into telling your dad just because the whole school found out today." I say, laying my hand onto hers on the counter. She smiles. "That was quite a shocker … I didn't even know what got into me that made me say that out loud."

I smirk. "Well looks like you're not uncomfortable anymore at school. Like I said earlier, I was astonished … and it was really sweet of you."

She blushes slightly. "Thanks … " I feel her hand tracing along my arm, her gaze following her fingers. She looks like she's in thought and also worried. Her hand traces up my whole arm, over my shoulder, neck and then she cups my cheek. "Jackson also promised me that he'll be there for me when I tell dad."

I lean forward and place a light kiss on her forehead. "Your dad will be fine, don't worry so much!" Miley smiles at me after that, her hand still on my cheek; I rest my forehead against hers. "Your brother is a great person." I say.

"I know … I'm lucky to have him." she agrees. I smile a toothless smile and look her into the eyes. She seems lost in her thoughts again. My time to examine her eyes. They're a blue-ish green, leaning to turquoise with a little grey hint. Really beautiful.

"Jackson's been miserable ever since mom … " Miley tells me with a bit more saddened expression. I take another glance at her brother; he's busy with serving people and he looks troubled. "He doesn't seem to find any friends because he hasn't got a lot of time … because of his job. I think that's why he's taking it so hard; he hasn't got anyone who keeps him grounded, you know … I found you."

"He'll cheer up, you'll see. He has you to help him through this. And he'll find the right friends." I reply. I believe in that. Just like I found Miley. She leans in and kisses me again, looking happy. "I'm glad that we're out like that … we should've done that from the first day." she confesses. I smirk again. "It's not like we're dating for an eternity now, Miley, it's practically the start so that's fine. And if it shouldn't have happened today then it wouldn't have."

Miley laughs shortly. "Yeah you're right!" We share another soft kiss and I glance at Jackson. He smiles at us and nods. I'm glad he's happy for us and I'm sure that he'll find the right friends soon. He could also hang out with us, Ollie and I'd take him in anytime.

**A/N:** Yeah, I also hope Jackson'll get better ^^ Please leave your thoughts!


	15. Little Secret

**A/N:** Hey! Sorry for keeping you waiting for this chapter, every time I wanted to upload something else stopped me from doing it. So, finally, here's chapter 15, still a little fluffy ^^ So, hope you'll like it; enjoy =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Little Secret

The sun is shining right into my eyes and I slowly wake up. It's Monday and I'm up before that nagging alarm is ringing? Wow, not bad … I slowly open my eyes and look out of the window. Bright blue sky … awesome. I look down at the sleeping angel in my arms. I spent the night at Miley's. Yeah, her dad would even let me sleep in her room. I'm not sure if he's aware of the fact I slept in her bed …

The weekend was awesome. I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Miley's and at the beach. Mister Stewart also seems to like me and I think he's coping a little better now with his wife's death. I see him smile more often and he's cracking jokes every once in a while. Miley and I also spent time with Jackson but he's not doing better. He's down and no matter what we say he stays like it.

A bird singing loudly outside brings me back to reality. I glance at the alarm. Five minutes until it rings, I should wake Miley up softer than that stupid peeping-sound. Also I don't want Mister Stewart bursting in while we're lying under the same covers. It's not like we did anything other than just making out, but I don't want to know what kind of expression I'd get if I'd see two people I know lying underneath the same blanket in one bed.

"Miley … wakey-wakey." I whisper softly into her ear, brushing it lightly with my lips, then I move my head a bit and place a kiss onto her temple. "Mm-mm … " she groans, taking a deep breath after that. I smile. Cute!

"Wakey-wakey … or we'll be in a hurry if we don't get up." I say again, quietly, rubbing my nose against hers. Miley immediately leans up to kiss me shortly and then asks groggily: "Since when are you up so early?"

"Ever since you walked into my life and made me sleep better." I reply honestly, smiling at her. Miley leans up and kisses me again, a smidge longer this time. After our lips part she whispers: "I love you … "

I lean down, not aiming for her lips this time, but for her neck, nibbling softly at it. While I do so I reply: "I love you more." Then I bite down very carefully and place my hand on her stomach. Her shirt must've slipped up because I can feel bare skin. I kiss all the way to her pulse point and start sucking on it.

"Mmm … Lilly … " she moans and I feel her hands in my hair. I almost smile but I try not to stop my actions since she seems to like it … a lot. I trace my fingers along her whole stomach, feeling her muscles. She doesn't have too much but she said she's working out sometimes which I think is hot. Just like her skin – it's heating up at my touch and I feel goose bumps forming.

"Mmm … that feels so good … " her voice is still a bit hoarse from sleep and it actually turns me on. I trace my hand upwards, guiding my finger through the valley of her breasts –avoiding touching them because I'm a bit scared she'll back away – and then the same way back down. As I trace my fingers along the waistband of her pajama-bottoms, touching both skin and fabric at the same time, Miley arches her back a bit and lets out a throaty moan.

One of her hands soon finds mine and stops my actions but she starts moving it a bit more upwards, guiding it towards her breast while saying in a quite sultry voice: "I-it's okay … you can touch … "

For the first time I leave her neck and move upwards again to look her in the eyes, moving my hand on my own again and smiling at her encouragingly. I start leaning in – "Girls!"

I literally jump away from Miley, which leaves me flying off the bed and onto the hard ground with a loud 'thump'. "Ow!"

"Don't ya wanna get up? You're gonna miss breakfast!!" Mister Stewart calls out from downstairs again. Shit, I think I almost had a heart-attack. I thought he was standing in the room. I don't even want to know what Miley must've thought. I look up at her but she's smirking at me.

"What?" I ask. She giggles. "Your expression was priceless. I locked the door, silly. Do you really think I want daddy in here?"

"Guess I didn't notice that yesterday … " I reply, blushing a little. For my defense, Miley's pajamas made me wanna drool on them and I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Just like right now, I was so lost in this own little world with Miley alone that I didn't even hear the alarm. Cool.

Miley gets up and walks towards her bathroom while I look for my stuff and change into it. I suddenly hear a short but loud shriek from inside the bathroom. Oh my god, what happened? "Miley, are you okay?" I ask through the door. Did she slip or something?

"Yeah, just … " she starts and then opens the door and then continues: " … well you kind of … " she shows her whole self and points to her neck, where I spot a dark red mark, " … got me a hickey."

I grin. "Whoops … sorry." I take a step towards her and kiss her softly on the lips but she frowns. "How am I supposed to cover that up?"

"Hmm … " I scratch the back of my head while I stare at the mark I left, thinking. Good question … what did I usually do when my ex left me a hickey? Actually I didn't really care about it, I just showed it. But we can't show her dad.

"How about you wear a scarf or something?" I suggest. Why not? I mean, okay, maybe it's a bit warm for a scarf but you see people run around with one all the time. It's the new thing or something.

She shrugs. "I guess I have to … what am I gonna tell daddy when he asks about it?" Miley raises an eyebrow. I reply: "Well just tell him you felt like wearing a scarf or something … or you have a sore throat."

"Alright … " she says and walks back into the bathroom, adding: "I'm done by the way, you can use the bathroom."

"Okay." I enter the bathroom as well. Miley is standing in front of the mirror, eyeing her neck. I frown a bit and walk up to her, hugging her from behind and placing another soft kiss on her temple. "I'm sorry, Miley … I didn't intend to place the hickey on such an obvious spot. I'll try to keep myself under control next time and not leave a mark."

Miley smiles at the statement and turns her head to look directly into my eyes. "It's okay. As long as you do again what you did … maybe even more."

My mouth drops open. She wants more? Awesome! Does that mean she wants to make love? I'd be thrilled to do that! Miley giggles again and leans in to kiss me again, adding: "You know you look cute when you're flabbergasted." afterwards.

"Uh … thanks." I reply, waking back up from my little dream of making love to Miley. She giggles again and walks out of the bathroom and I finally brush my teeth.

---

Miley and I sit in the kitchen, eating the breakfast Mister Stewart made us rather quickly since we did spend a lot of time up there … making out. Miley and I both decided to wear a scarf so Mister Stewart doesn't wonder too much. And it actually worked. He eyed the pieces of cloth at the beginning suspiciously but dropped it after he saw that we both wore one; he just shrugged and walked away.

"Are you coming back again this afternoon, Lilly?" Miley's dad asks me. I raise my head to look at him and reply: "No, I was planning on going home, actually."

Miley also turns to him: "And I wanted to stay at Lilly's again. Can I?"

He looks at us shortly, but then shrugs: "Yeah, okay." I hide my immediate obvious grin by eating again. Maybe we'll find something interesting to do tonight. I sure hope so. I feel Miley's leg touching mine and I turn to look at her. She looks at me from the corner of her eyes and grins. Good sign? I think so.

We soon get up and get our bags; Jackson comes down the stairs, greeting us: "Morning, girls … want me to give you a ride to school?"

"Yeah!" Miley and I both say in unison, I smile and add: "That'd be nice."

"Well then come on or we'll be late." he says and we both follow him, saying our goodbyes to Mister Stewart on the way outside.

---

"So, what are you guys hiding under those scarves?" Jackson asks us, eyeing us suspiciously but kind of with a knowing look. I raise an eyebrow at Miley, she shrugs. I grin and reply: "Well … _I'm_ not hiding anything." and I intentionally put the emphasis on myself. Miley lightly smacks my thigh but I still grin at her.

"What about Miley, hm?" Jackson asks my girlfriend now. Miley blushes a deep shade of red and ducks her head. I take her hand in mine and smile at her. I think it's adorable but … guess she still has to get used to the fact that we're dating … at least in public. I mean, I remember I always showed my hickeys off … okay, guess that was me. Not everybody is fond of the thought that people are staring at your neck all the time.

"Well … " Miley starts; I give her hand a squeeze. She continues: " … a hickey."

Jackson smirks and lets out a small laugh. A real laugh, which makes us both smile. "Thought so … " he says and I give Miley's hand another squeeze.

---

Miley and I walk along the aisle along to my locker, people are giving us strange looks … all of them, but Miley doesn't let go of my hand once. She just looks to the ground all the time; me … I just look back at all the staring people, annoyed.

"Ollie?" I ask my best buddy when we reach my locker. He's standing alone, looking a bit sad. I don't like seeing him sad; he's such a happy person. "Hey, where's your girl?"

"Hey, Lil, Miley … she's at the doctor's. Our little baby's making a little trouble." he replies.

"Oh my god, is everything going to be okay? I mean, you were there last week as well, right?" I ask, immediately concerned. Oliver would be crushed if anything happened to the baby; he wants it so much ever since they found out Joanie's pregnant.

Oliver gives me a forced smile. "Yeah, it's gonna be okay. The doctor said it's gonna be fine last time." Now, who is he trying to fool? That was a lie, Ollie! I know you too well. I think he doesn't want to talk about it with all the people around.

I pat his shoulder and get my stuff from my locker. We still have to go to Miley's locker after that. I mean, I could stay and talk to him about it, but seriously, the school hallway isn't the best place on earth to have a serious conversation. Too many ears around.

"I'll see you at lunch, Ollie." I say and I give him a short sign that I'll talk to him after school. He nods and we walk away.

---

"So, Miley, got any plans for our afternoon together?" I ask her. Yep, you guessed right, it's lunch time again. I'm sitting right across from her on a bench outside. It's quite a beautiful day today and I didn't want to sit inside the building. I hold Miley's hands in mine, stroking over the back of her hands with my thumbs. She smiles at me.

"How about we just cuddle up a bit? And … " she pauses shortly and looks around, then turns back to me and whispers: " … maybe we could do a little bit of this … " she leans forward and kisses me shortly. I smirk. "Sounds good. Anything else?"

"Maybe a little more of this … " she replies and captures my lips with hers again; after a short while her tongue slips into my mouth, almost surprising me but I return that kiss anyway.

I hear someone clearing their throat right next to us and we immediately part. I turn my head only to see my best buddy again. He looks a lot happier than earlier. When he notices that he has both our attention he says: "Okay, first … people were staring at you two from even inside the building … " Miley instantly blushes. I don't care, actually … I couldn't care less, really. People always stare, whatever you do. " … and second, Joanie just called. She and the baby are both fine. She just has to go to the doctor's again sometime next week."

"That's good to hear, Ollie. I'm glad everything's okay." I reply and smile at him. I feel Miley's cheek on mine and I can also feel her smiling. "Me, too." she says.

Oliver's smile then suddenly turns into a smirk and he turns his attention to Miley: "Jeez, looks like Lilly was hungry!" Then he points to his neck.

"How do you … " I stop midsentence, he knows me. It's not like all of my hook-ups wore scarves, just … some did and I think for him it really is obvious. "Never mind."

"I'm just not used to showing hickeys. Plus, my dad'd probably kill me if he saw it." Miley replies. Oliver's smirk grows. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." We share a short laugh together. Now I really can't wait for the afternoon to come.

**A/N:** I figured that the story shouldn't just be about Lilly and Miley's relationship (it still is the main part) but also about a few people around them. I mean, I'll promise Liley in every chapter but if nothing happened anymore the story'd be boring. I'll focus on Oliver/Joanie a bit and also on Lilly's parents, Miley's daddy a bit and Jackson … depends on what I come up with ;D I'm being spontaneous. Don't worry, doesn't mean that there's no Liley, I love it so I couldn't stop writing it, just sometimes a bit of the world around them as well ^^ I hope you liked the chapter; please leave your thoughts!


	16. Enjoying The Moment

**A/N:** So, I promised to update sooner … here's chapter 16 ;D Thanks again for the reviews, you guys rock.

And I wanted to make a special shout-out to _WriterKid0204_! Thank you so much for the nice review and message =D And to answer your question, just read the next chapter ;D

**Warning:** The chapter is slight lemon-ish. Not too much, I don't want it to sound vulgar =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Enjoying the Moment

"Go Lilly!" I hear Miley and Oliver yelling from the sidelines. We're almost at the end of my soccer practice and we're having a little match as training. I broke through the defenders so it's only the goalkeeper and me. I still run towards the goal, still deciding where I want to kick the ball to. I finally aim for the right upper corner but I see the goalkeeper ready for a jump just into that direction so I quickly aim for the upper left corner and I hope that choice was not too spontaneous because I haven't got a lot of time to aim. I shoot … goal!!

"Awesome!" I yell and high five my team members.

"Good job, Truscott." the coach says and walks over to me, "that shot was really nice. Keep it up like that, might be good in the future."

"Thanks, coach." I reply. He turns to the others and shouts: "Alright, go take your showers, girls!"

I walk over to my friends to the sidelines. Miley greets me with a soft kiss. Oliver pats my back and compliments me: "That shot was sweet, Lil! Just like I remember you out on the field."

I smile at him. He hasn't been to the last few practices. I mean, I can't expect them to always be there, they have a life of their own. "Thanks, man."

Miley cups my cheeks with her hands and pulls me in close, resting her forehead against mine and locks my gaze with hers. Her eyes look like she's on fire; I've never seen that look on her before. I like it, it's hot. "Yeah, that shot was dang nice, Lil." she says in a quite raspy voice. I feel goose bumps forming on my entire body. Miley closes the gap between our lips, kissing me almost hungrily, but the sensation doesn't last long.

"Truscott!" I hear the coach shouting. I break the kiss and whisper a short 'sorry' to my girlfriend, then I go over to him. "Yes, coach?"

"What was that?" he asks me, a bit angrily. Do I have to get him right now? "What was what?"

"You and … who is she?" he asks, pointing at Miley. I look over to her, then back to him and answer: "Miley Stewart. We kissed, coach. What's the biggie?"

"The 'biggie' is that it's inappropriate behavior. Not to mention it turns off visitors." he explains. I roll my eyes. Just what I need right now. A person I hardly know telling me what I can and can't do.

"Whatever … " I say and turn to leave. I'm really not in the mood for a moral conversation about what's right and wrong and what the bible says or whatever crap he comes up with.

"Hey!" he shouts after me and I turn again, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life, okay? Just keep it away from the soccer field … or just keep it away from me. You are our best player and I don't want to kick you out because of _this_!" he tells, making a strange movement with his hands and arms while emphasizing the last word. I just shake my head and walk away. He makes me angry and I don't really want to be in a bad mood.

---

"What did he want?" Miley asks me as I exit the changing rooms. "He seemed mad."

"The coach is being an idiot." I reply, starting to walk. Both of my friends following me. I explain: "Let's just put it that way: He's conservative and not too happy when it comes to gay people."

"He doesn't want me on the field?" Miley asks, I shake my head. "Nope, he just doesn't want me to kiss you because it turns people off or something. Just ignore it, Miley."

"Was he always like that?" Oliver asks. Good question. I shrug. "Guess he was. I didn't bring any hook-ups here, he didn't catch me and Jen and you _know_ Rachel did nothing for me even though I did everything for her."

Rachel is my ex girlfriend, but I'm not really in the mood to think about her right now. We dated for a year and she cheated on me … with a guy … maybe more than just one guy, I don't even want to know. I was head over heels in love with her and she broke my heart. When we broke up she didn't even care much about it … whatever, change of subject.

"Yeah, I remember Rachel and I still don't get why you two lasted so long, she treated you like shit and you know it. Well, I'll head of home. Wish you two a nice afternoon. Oh, and don't worry about the coach." Oliver replies.

"I don't really care about him." I say, shrugging. Seriously, I couldn't care less. He wouldn't kick me out for anything; I'm too good for that. Oliver winks at Miley and says: "Yeah I was more worried about her, you know."

"I trust Lilly with that one. If she doesn't care then I won't either." my girlfriend says and I grin at her. "That's my girl." I say and she smacks my arm playfully. Oliver waves us goodbye and goes to his car.

---

I plop down on my sofa, a can of cool coke in my hand and I'm taking a sip. Refreshing. It's a quite unusually warm day outside today. I place the can onto the table beside the sofa and lay down a bit more. Miley joins me on the couch and I wrap her up in a hug. I like that, just lying there with her doing nothing. It's almost completely quiet; the only things I can hear are Miley's and my simultaneously breathing and a bird singing outside.

I feel Miley's head moving and I suddenly feel like I'm being stared at. I move my head to look at my girlfriend and she's looking at me with a small smile on her face and without actually thinking about it I smile back, stroking along her back with one hand. I then take another sip of my coke, but as soon as I put it down I feel a sudden sensation on my neck.

I feel Miley's lips connected to my neck, very gently sucking on it, leaving kisses along the way she trails with her lips. I bend my head back a bit, giving her more access to my neck and she doesn't hesitate to explore every inch. I take a long breath. That feels really nice; Miley knows what she's doing.

I can feel her hands at the hem of my shirt now and she's slowly sliding it up to expose my skin. Her fingers trail along my stomach and it makes me shiver slightly; I take in a sharp breath. Miley leaves my neck and moves a bit so her head is at the height of my tummy. She lowers herself and gently starts to kiss my stomach. I inhale again but instead of exhaling normally it comes out as a quite long sigh.

As she continues kissing, I start heating up more and more and it really starts turning me on. Her lips on my skin, her fingers all over my upper body. "Don't stop … " I moan, gritting my teeth a bit. She really knows what she's doing but probably doesn't know what it's doing to me. I can barely control myself from jumping her right there. But this is not how I want to make love to her the first time. Not on our sofa.

I lift myself up a bit and she looks up at me. "Miles … let's move this to my room." I say, quietly. She nods and we get up but at the end of the stairs I find myself pressing Miley against the wall and attacking her lips hungrily. She kisses back with just the same force and wraps her arms around my head, pulling me in closer. My hands are placed on her sides, moving up and down constantly, but later settling on her butt while I'm biting down on her lower lip, careful not to hurt her. She moans softly.

I lead her away from the wall and into my room – locking it right away – and I guide her to my bed, where we both sit down, engulfed in the next hot make-out session. She pulls my shirt over my head and I do the same to her; she lets me without complaining. I lay her down on my bed and take in the sight in front of me. Miley only in her bra and jeans, looking at me with a – for me new – desire in her eyes. She _needs_ me.

I start placing kisses along her collarbone while I unbuckle her belt slowly, pulling off the jeans. I trace my hand up her thigh, finally settling on her hip. "Oh god, Lilly … " she hisses. I smirk and undo her bra, slowly sliding it off. My kisses trail north back to her lips, my hands start exploring the new exposed area – her breasts. They're not too big, soft … just perfect. Miley moans into the kiss.

I then move my hands back to her sides and slowly kiss all the way down to her breasts, caressing her nipples with my tongue. She now unbuckles my belt and as soon as that's done I send my shorts flying off to the ground, somewhere in my room. My fingers now play with the waistband of her panties. I lift my head and look her deep into the eyes. They are a more darkish blue color now and filled with lust.

"Are you ready for this?" I ask her. I must be sure that she really wants this; I couldn't live with the fact that I hurt her in such an intimate way. She smiles up to me and replies: "Yes."

I lower my head again and kiss her lips softly, while my hand slips under her panties and I carefully explore what I can. "Mmm … I love you, Lilly." she whispers against my lips and it makes me smile.

"I love you, too, Miley." I reply and then I carefully enter her, starting with only one finger and I set a slow pace. I really start making love to her now. "Oh god, Lilly … don't stop … " she whispers and I then continue kissing her passionately; our tongues soon battling for dominance. I start speeding the pace up a slight bit and soon I feel Miley's knee pressing against my center. I moan but it's muffled by the kiss. Shit, Miley, what are you doing to me?

After a short while I carefully add a second finger, my thumb caressing her most sensitive spot and the more I do to her the harder her knee rubs and presses against my center. I break the kiss in need of oxygen but after taking a breath I moan again.

"Jesus, Lilly … I'm … " but she doesn't finish her sentence verbally. I feel her tightening around my fingers, digging her nails into my back and biting my shoulder to hold back a loud scream. That's the only thing it takes which shoots me over the edge too, making my fly in seventh heaven for a short while, I feel all my muscles tightening and I collapse on top of her, both of us shaking a few times together.

After a few moments of just lying there I can control my breathing again and I move a bit so I don't squish her with my weight. I then look at her and I find her smiling at me again. I grin. I gotta admit, nobody has ever made me come so hard in my life. Not Jen, not Rachel; and I thought the sex with Rachel was special. Miley scoots closer and kisses me again shortly.

"I'm glad my first time was with you, Lilly." she whispers softly and rests her forehead against mine, while we wrap each other up in another hug. I reply: "And I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Every second." she says, cuddling up even more and closing her eyes. I have a content smile on my face. I'm so happy with her. "I love you." I whisper, stroking through her hair with one hand. She takes a long breath and then answers: "I love you, too. So, so much … "

---

I hear a buzzing sound somewhere close to me and I blink, then yawn. I feel someone steering in my arms and I take a quick glance. Miley. She groans: "Mmm … Lilly … make it stop."

I start moving my arm to click away whoever is calling me in this peaceful moment but my phone stops buzzing by itself. I shrug and then yawn again. I look at my digital clock; it reads 6:42pm.

"Miles, we shouldn't sleep now or we can't sleep at night." I tell her, kissing her bare shoulder. She groans again. "I know … "

I feel her leg moving – the one which is right between mine – and she's moving it upwards, rubbing along my thigh. I swallow hard.

"But we don't have to get up, just stay awake, right?" she whispers, her thigh touches my center again and my mouth goes dry after that. I sit up a bit and push her down to the bed on the shoulders and she has a smug grin on her face.

I push my knee upwards and rub it against her most sensitive spot through her panties, while I lean down and start nibbling and sucking on her collar bone. Miley moans again. "Mmm … you like being in control, huh?"

"Mhm … " I reply. I feel her opening my bra – which is still on – and she slowly pulls it down. I lick along her collarbone and suck down at one spot.

Again that buzzing noise! I groan and Miley sighs, annoyed. I move away from her, searching my shorts-pockets for my phone. I look at the caller ID and roll my eyes. Oliver.

"What?" I snap at my best friend. He ruined a moment!

"_And hello to you, too!"_

"Ollie, what do you want? I'm kind of in the middle of something." I reply. Well, actually not anymore … the moment is ruined.

"_In the middle of what? What could set you off like … oh … "_

Realization hit him in mid-sentence. I roll my eyes again.

"_I'm so sorry, Lilly … did I ruin your … uhm … first time?"_

"You're in luck it wasn't or I would've kicked your ass." I reply, still annoyed.

"_Oh, okay … uhm … I actually wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the beach with Joanie and me. It's such a beautiful evening!"_

I look over at Miley and ask her: "Oliver's asking if we want to join Joanie and him on the beach for I-Don't-Know-What … "

Miley looks at me for a few seconds, thinking, then replies: "Well it's probably not the worst idea … I mean, after the second time we'd fall asleep again anyways, huh?"

I giggle. So true … and I said we shouldn't sleep. I grin and answer: "Yeah, we're in. Just t- " Oliver cuts me off:

"_Second time? Oh my god!!! You guys already like … did it??"_

He is such a nosy boy. I shake my head, but I can't hold back a brought grin on my face. "Yeah … "

"_Oh my god! This is awesome! You guys gotta join us and tell us everything!! See you at the beach in ten minutes!! … Joanie, guess what- "_

Then I hear a click and a beep. Tell him everything? Is he nuts?! This is private. Such a doughnut. I have to remind myself to hit him when we meet him at the beach.

"Well then, let's get up and meet Ollie and Joanie." I say and get up. Miley gets up right after me and I feel her hugging me from behind, I turn my head slightly to look at her. I feel her kissing my neck again and then she says: "But we can continue that later, right?"

I laugh shortly, kissing her cheek. "Sure, Miles. Now let's get ready, they'll be waiting."

**A/N:** Hope you liked the chapter, was my first try on more lemon-ish stuff xD in English at least. Please leave your thoughts!


	17. Daddy

**A/N:** Wow, sorry for the long wait, school and dance-practices are stressing lately. Thank you guys for your patience. There's nothing to say other than enjoy the next chapter =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Daddy

It's Saturday evening and I'm at Miley's. The week was close to heaven on earth ever since the first time we made love. Oh, just FYI, it wasn't the only time we had sex last week. I feel like we've grown a lot closer every time we did it; even though I still can't quite imagine how since I thought we already were pretty close … hmm, maybe we weren't. But who cares, we're so in love right now and my life is just really falling back into place.

"Hey, dreamy." Miley says, snapping her fingers in front of my face and smiling at me. I look at her, raising an eyebrow. She giggles softly, saying: "That love struck smile on your face gave you away."

"Oh … " I reply, sitting up on Miley's bed, which I was just lying on. I glance at her again; she sits on the bed, cross-legged, holding her western guitar. She strummed a few chords earlier. Just random ones, but it still sounded really good. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head.

"Miles?" I say to grab her attention, which she gives me, adding a smile. "Wanna teach me how to play the guitar?"

Her smile grows when I ask her this and she immediately hands me her guitar. "I'd love to!"

I take it, not really sure where to put it but I settle it securely onto my right leg. Miley quickly gets up and gets her semi-acoustic one and places it on her leg as well.

"Alright … I'm gonna teach you a few simple chords. Let's start with … uhm … an A-chord." she says. I watch her fingers curiously and she says: "Alright … just … press your index, middle and ring finger down on the following strings … "

She looks at the strings again, then back to me: "From the top, third, fourth and fifth string, second fret. Like this … and then you just strum all of the strings for the start." She does and out comes a clean sound. I try exactly the same but it doesn't sound clear at all …

"Whoops … " I say, Miley giggles and says: "Press down harder and try not to block the sixth string."

"Okay … " I reply and try again. It was a much cleaner sound this time. I smile. Cool! Miley looks up into my eyes. "Nice one, Lil." She leans over her and my guitar and kisses me softly.

"Now try this … " Miley continues and starts explaining the E-chord … it's a bit harder and I can't manage it. Seriously, I think I'm too stupid and too clumsy to play the guitar. I frown and try a few more times.

Miley puts down her guitar and crawls over to me. "Chillax, Lilly … I'll help you." she says and guides my fingers to the right strings. Again, I push them down and strum. Wow, quite a clear sound. I lift my gaze up to Miley's face again and smile, proud that I learned two chords. I find her face rather close to mine; she's still looking at my hand. I can't resist the urge so I lean in and press my lips against hers.

"Looks like I'm clumsy with my fingers … " I say against her lips. She smiles into the kiss, then replies: "I think you're pretty good with your fingers … you showed me every day since Monday."

I smirk at that statement, breaking the kiss shortly. I look into her eyes, saying: "Did I ever tell you that my tongue is even better than my fingers?"

Miley blushes a little and I still smirk at her. "No … but according to the way you kiss me I can imagine and … you can show me." she replies and I lean in again, kissing her passionately, bringing our tongues into the game this time. I feel Miley pulling the guitar away, then I feel her hand on my stomach, rubbing it lightly through my shirt.

Her touches and the way she kisses me now make me feel turned on and I heat up. I grab her waist and guide her all the way onto my lap, not breaking the kiss once. I lie back down and pull Miley on top of me. I like it when Miley is on top; it turns me on even more. I feel her hands gliding along my upper body, pulling my shirt up a bit during the process, and finally settling on my breasts. I moan because of the touch and I let my hands get a good grip of her butt.

"Hey, Miles, I – woah! Sorry!!" Jackson bursts into the room. Yikes! I think my heart stopped beating for a second and this time, Miley doesn't think it's funny at all. She didn't lock the door and it could've also been her dad walking in on us right now. According to my girlfriend's expression she must've been at least as shocked as I was.

We both pull back our hands and Miley sits up, I just keep looking at Jackson. Then he starts again: "I'm sorry … I just um … w-wanted to tell you that I'm going to the movies with some new friends I made earlier this week. Just in case you're looking for me or something."

Miley and I both smile at that. Finally! He met some people who he has time for, it's about time anyways! Miley replies: "Alright, Jackson! Have fun."

"Thanks you … too." he gives us a funny look and then a mischievous smirk. I roll my eyes at this. I don't know if the moment is already ruined or not. Before he closes the door he turns back sharply again, saying: "You might wanna lock the door or move this someplace else!" before finally closing the it.

I look up at Miley with a raised eyebrow and she looks back down with almost the same look. Seconds later we burst out into giggles. "I guess the moment is ruined, huh?"

"Yeah, guess so." she replies and crawls off of me; I sit back up and look at her again. She kisses me again, shortly, then asking: "Wanna go downstairs and watch some TV while dad's cooking dinner? I'm sure he'll be done with that soon, anyways."

We share another quick kiss. "Mhm … " I reply and we get up, heading downstairs.

---

"Dinner's ready in ten minutes, girls." Robbie Ray lets us know. We give him a quick look which says that we heard what he said and we'll be ready then. As much as I like that couch I'm sitting on right now … it's not comfortable if I can't cuddle up with my girlfriend. I mean, we're sitting rather closely but I'm afraid of touching her because of Miley's dad. It's agony, I tell you.

I feel Miley tucking my hair behind my ear. As much as I love when she does it I turn to her with a confused look and I shortly nod into her dad's direction. She looks at him, figuring he's busy with the rest of his cooking, his back facing us and she leans in, whispering: "I'm still a bit turned on from before, you know … " she nibbles on my earlobe after that and I shiver. I try to control myself and reply: "Y-you're not the o-only one."

"Alright, girls, dinner's ready." he says, Miley darts away from me, leaving me turned on again. Dang it! Her dad's still not facing us, to our luck. We both get up quietly and sit down at the lunch table next to each other, Robbie Ray joining us shortly after.

During dinner I feel Miley's leg touching mine in a rather seductive manner and I try just to concentrate on eating the food, but Miley doesn't stop stroking and rubbing her leg against mine and when I glance at her from the corner of my eyes she winks at me just as seductively and I choke on the bite I just had in my mouth. I catch Miley trying to hide a grin and a laugh, luckily Mister Stewart is concerned about me: "Lilly, you okay?"

I cough a few more times and then finally swallow down what I had in my mouth, giving him a nod. Miley, Miley … she's definitely become bolder ever since we made love for the first time. I mean, we've been even more touchy-feely in school and she starts making hints about what we already did or what she'd like to do … mostly she whispered naughtier things into my ear and it caught me off guard every time she did so. Not that I don't like it, I'm just surprised. I remember the shy Miley, what happened to her?

I take my glass and gulp down the water inside. Ah, all better. We finished up dinner without any other coincidences after that and Miley and I head back up to her room. At the end of the stairs I feel her hand on my shoulder, turning me around and I soon find us wrapped up in a hot kiss.

"I wanted to do that for the last two hours." Miley replies. Yep, that's how long we've been down there. Miley's daddy hasn't even started dinner when we went downstairs. Miley and I didn't look at the watch; unfortunately, we could've had more time up in her room doing … stuff. I reply: "Me too."

"Oh dang it!" she groans. I look at her, questioningly. "I left my phone downstairs." she explains. She is really anxious, huh? I grin at her, taking her hand and pulling her downstairs.

"I really wanted to just go back up there and … " she tells me, getting really close to me, then continuing: " … do this."

I feel her lips on mine again in a rather rough kiss, unfortunately, the sensation doesn't last long. "Miley!" I hear an angry male voice and my girlfriend darts back immediately. We didn't think of one thing when we kissed right now … we're already downstairs and her dad witnessed our display of affection right now.

We both just stand there, busted. I don't know if I should say something or move, the madness in his eyes makes me feel like he'll rip me up into pieces when I make a wrong movement. Shit! And all because we both just couldn't get enough of each other!

"Lilly … I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." he says. I nod and start walking but Miley reaches out for my hand. As I turn to look at her she has a pleading look in her eyes, mixed with nervousness and fear. I stay. I promised I'll always be there for her.

"Miley, let her go. I want to talk to you … alone." Miley's daddy tells her, in a very stern tone. I won't leave if she doesn't want me to. But Miley then lets go of my hand. I sigh and walk out of the door. I just don't want to leave her alone so I stand somewhere beside the door, where they can't see me and – as bad as it is – I eavesdrop. I can hear them clearly from where I'm standing. I just can't leave my Miley alone in there with her crazy dad. I'll jump back in when he's being a jerk.

"Miley ... could you explain to me what the heck you just did?" I hear Robbie Ray speak up.

"I kissed Lilly, daddy. I'm pretty sure you figured that much." she throws back at him. Her voice is mad but strong right now.

"Why did you kiss her? You know this is morally wrong. Not to mention the bible also says it's a sin." he tells her. I roll my eyes.

Miley explodes a bit: "Fuck the bible on that thought, daddy, and it's not morally wrong! I kissed Lilly because I felt like it. And because I'm in love with her!"

A short silence. Then Robbie Ray's voice again: "You can't be in love with her … "

"Why?" Miley asks, voice still strong. I suddenly notice someone walking up the porch. After a few moments I recognize them. It's Jackson.

"Lilly, what are you doing standing outside?" he asks me, a bit worried. I nod inside and explain: "Miley's and my hormones where kinda sorta going crazy at one point and we kissed in the living room and well … your dad caught us."

Jackson looks inside and listens to what Mister Stewart says next: "You can't be in love because … she's a girl and you're a girl and that's just … wrong!"

I see Jackson's facial features tighten, he seems angry. He grabs my wrist, opens the door and walks into the living room with me. I feel a bit helpless now. Miley's brother speaks up: "Just because you don't understand, dad, doesn't mean Miley and Lilly can't be in love!"

"Jackson, this is none of your business, so stay- " but Jackson doesn't let Robbie Ray finish: "Miley is my sister, dad! I care about her and you should, too! Why should I stay out of this?"

Another moment of silence. I haven't seen Jackson like this before. He really is the loving and caring brother anybody could wish for. After Robbie Ray doesn't answer his rather rhetorical question Miley's brother continues: "After mom died you said the only thing that matters right now is for Miley and me to be happy. Can't you see Lilly is the cause of happiness in Miley? Isn't that what matters?"

Again, silence. But then Miley stands up and darts over to me, hugging me tightly. I return the hug, carefully stroking through Miley's hair. Mister Stewart gets up, angrily, and raises his voice: "Fine, do what you want but keep it out of my face!!" then he storms off, out on the deck.

Miley sobs a few times after he's gone and Jackson strokes her back. "Give him some time, Miles. He'll come around if he sees the pure love that is between you guys."

"Thanks, Jackson." I say and give him a smile. For some strange reason I have the feeling he'll come around, too. Robbie Ray Stewart seems like a nice guy who doesn't just reject his daughter like that. Miley releases the hug and then falls into her brother' arms.

"You're the best brother ever … I love you." she says, while he returns the hug and replies: "Love you, too, sis."

We sit back down on the couch, Miley right next to me, her head on my shoulder and her hand in mine. That's a lot better than before but I can still feel the tension, even though her dad's not here right now. I try to change the subject: "So, how was your first night out with your new friends, Jackson?"

"It was awesome! They're all really nice. Especially Cooper, he seems like this really cool dude." Jackson replies, a smile plastered to his face. I feel really happy for him, he's finally found friends. Miley was so worried that he'll never find any with his job at Rico's and everything.

"Glad you made friends, Jackson." Miley replies, but then yawns. I look down at her and ask: "Wanna go upstairs? You look tired."

"Mhm." she replies and we both get up, saying goodnight to Jackson.

---

We plop down on the bed, already in our pajamas. Miley looks worried. I support myself on my left arm and stroke some hair strands out of her face. "Don't worry too much, Miles. I'll be there for you all the way. Just relax a bit."

She looks up at me and smiles slightly. "I'll try … and thanks, Lil … I love you so much!"

I return the smile and reply: "And I love you, Miles."

I lean down and kiss her again, lingering for some time. I feel her hands wrapping around my neck and her legs curling around mine. I feel her tongue sliding into my mouth and I soon heat up again. She rubs herself against my leg a bit, moaning in pleasure, then seductively whispering into my ear: "Wanna take my mind off of things a bit?"

"Anytime." I reply and kiss her again as we start making love to each other.

**A/N:** No offence to the bible or anything … I don't know, the end seemed a bit rushed and … I don't know, unrealistic? Well, Miley's obviously getting bolder, huh? Please leave your thoughts ^^


	18. Concerns

**A/N:** Oh my god … I am soooooooooo sorry for letting you guys wait with this update!!!! I had a lot going on in school and then I went on my holidays and now I finally had the time to update this story.

Oh and no, sex won't primarily in the story, but I just think it's part of a relationship so if you don't want to read it, you don't have to and you can skip the part. I'll try to focus the next chapters on something different than just Miley and Lilly, just hang on 'til then ^^ Enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Concerns

"Thanks for taking me out tonight, Lil." Miley says and smiles at me sweetly. It's Sunday evening and I decided to go out on a little date with Miley. It's nothing special; just us two in a simple restaurant, nothing posh.

"No biggie, Miles. Are you sure your dad won't kill you _and_ me if he knows that we're going out and stuff?" I ask her, a little concerned. I mean, we did keep everything out of his sight last night and today but he pretty much ignored us.

"I don't care what he says, he doesn't understand! I just know I want to be with you and he can't take me away from you. So it's his problem if we go out." she replies. I know she's affected by the fact that her father just gave us angry looks and I also know she's trying to suppress those feelings.

I smile at her and lean over to give her a quick kiss. Miley sighs after that and I place my hand on her thigh under the table. "Relax, sweetheart. Things are gonna be fine, I promise."

She looks up at me, frowning a bit. "How can you be so sure?" she asks. My smile grows a slight bit, then I reply: "Oliver used to tell me that, you know … when things with my parents were horrible. He was the one who always told me to give it some time. I didn't believe him because my life sucked bad time, but then my mom had a change of heart … and I met _you_ … and suddenly things were starting to get better and I knew Oliver was right."

Miley takes my hand in hers and gives it a light squeeze and then smiles at me again. "Well then I guess he's right." she says, then leans in to kiss me again. I thought she'd pull away quickly but Miley lingers for a few moments, starting to move her lips against mine – no tongues involved – but then I hear someone clearing their throat.

I look up. "Excuse me … y-your orders." the waiter says, stuttering and blushing a little; I try to keep a straight face and let him place our plates in front of us, then he quickly walks away.

Miley and I then burst out into giggles. "Poor guy … we sure embarrassed him." I say and smirk. Miley, who also blushed at little, replies: "Yes we did … but he probably would've stayed and watched us if there weren't any other people around."

I lean back in my chair, still smirking, then I agree: "Probably." After that we both start eating.

---

We're in my car again, and it's still early, so I decided to go to a nice and quiet – and foremost secluded – place up a hill, outside of town where we also have a good view of the city. I spotted this place once when life was too much for me and I just needed a break from everything. I remember just sitting in the car and driving somewhere. I ended up here eventually.

"Wow … hey, this place is nice!" Miley remarks after she stepped out of the car. I get out as well, grab my sweatshirt and put it on, since it's a little chilly outside, and then I walk over to the other side of my car and lean against it. I take in the sight of the thousands of lights of the city.

"Have you been up here often?" Miley asks me, still looking at the beautiful sight in front of her. I reply: "Yep … back when I just took a break from reality. It's a great place to think about stuff."

"True … I'll remember this place." she says and then there's silence for a few minutes. I still enjoy the view of all the lights, but then I turn my head slightly to take a look at my girlfriend in the nice glow of the city. Her eyes seem to sparkle more than ever right now, glowing with the same brightness as the city, yet she looks calm and comfortable.

"Like checking me out?" she asks suddenly, grinning a little afterwards. I laugh shortly. "Yeah."

"Good … then you'll like this even more." she says, her voice turning seductive and she steps closer, leaning against me and brushing her lips against mine lightly before placing them firmly upon mine and shortly afterwards sliding her tongue into my mouth and starting a heated make-out. I moan into the kiss, letting my hands wander from her back to her backside, pulling her closer in this region.

After a lot of long minutes we break the kiss in need of oxygen. I lick my lips while our gazes lock and I get lost in her bright blue eyes. "Mmm … I like that for sure." I finally reply; Miley just smiles at that statement.

She glances at her watch shortly and sighs. "Lil, sorry to ruin the moment but we better head home. It _is_ a school night and dad's gotta flip even more if I stay out too late."

I just nod in reply and we both get back into my car, and I'm sure if you could see us you'd see the disappointment in our eyes.

As I put my hand on the ignition Miley lets out quite a lout sigh and I look over to her. "Do you really wanna go home?" I ask her, almost pleading for her to stay and make out with me again. She looks at me and I can see that she's struggling with herself.

After about a minute of silence she grabs my T-Shirt and pulls me towards her, meeting me halfway in a passionate and longing kiss. I soon feel her hand tugging on my shirt a bit, then wandering beneath it, tracing my bare stomach with her fingertips in a manner that she knows it turns me on. And it does, quickly.

"M-Miley … are you s-sure you want to d-do this in the car?" I ask her. Dang, I'm so turned on I can't even form a proper sentence without stuttering, not to mention I'm out of breath because of that kiss. She answers me with another hot kiss, while I place my hand on her shoulder, letting it glide down over her breasts and tummy. Miley's breathing speeds up rapidly and she has to break the kiss in need of more oxygen.

I start tracing kisses along her jaw line, while I draw invisible shapes onto her stomach over her T-Shirt. I can see goose bumps forming on her entire body and she lets out a throaty moan. "Ah … Lilly … please … " she starts pleading. I can't resist her anyways so I start opening her belt clumsily with one hand, then I unbutton and unzip her jeans; but I run my hand along the waistband of her panties teasingly, smiling a bit.

"Mmm … please, Lilly … make love to me!" she continues her plead. I stop kissing her skin and move back to her lips. I slip my fingers under her panties, tracing along her whole length back and forth, still teasing her a bit. "Sweet niblets … " she breathes out in a sigh and I decide to finally enter her, already starting with two fingers this time.

I break our heated kiss again because this time I'm almost completely out of breath. Miley digs her fingernails into the car seat, squirming under my touch. She turns her head and whispers into my ear: "Harder … " before nibbling on it lightly. I'm surprised by her sudden boldness but I give in and quicken my pace, starting to stroke her most sensitive spot with my thumb; Miley adjusts the bucking of her hips to the movement of my fingers and we continue like this for several minutes.

It doesn't take too long before I feel her tightening around my fingers and she screams out her orgasm, shaking underneath me for a few moments. As she tries to catch her breath she turns her head and looks into my eyes, smiling. I close the distance between us and press my lips against hers for a few seconds.

"Let's go home before your dad kills us." I say, sitting back in my seat, trying to keep my heat under control, and I turn the ignition to start up the motor. Miley looks at me a bit confused: "Don't you want me to- "

"It's fine, Miley. I don't want you to be home late. Guess I'll just take a cold shower or something." I reply and smile at her again. She smiles again and strokes my cheek shortly.

After a short silence, Miley is the first to talk again: "That was amazing … by the way."

I smirk and look at her shortly. "Well then you're very welcome, Miles."

---

I park the car in front of her house, getting out and walking her up to her door. She tucks a bit on my shirt as we stand in front of the front entrance, then she looks up at me. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

" 'course." I reply, running my hand through her gorgeous brunette locks and smiling. Miley captures my lips with hers in a slow kiss. After we break apart I say: "Sleep tight." and start walking back to my car. Miley waits until I drive off.

---

I'm parking my car in the school parking lot, spotting my girlfriend; so I kill the engine, hop out of my car, grab my school bag, lock it and then I shout: "Miley!"

She stops and turns her head, before her smile appears I can see she looks a bit troubled. I run up to her and peck her on the lips. "Hey you." I greet her, smiling broadly.

"Hey yourself." she replies, pecking me on the lips one more time before starting to walk beside me to the school. I take her hand in mine, giving it a light squeeze.

"What's up?" I ask her. I want to know what's on her mind; troubled looks don't come out of nowhere. She raises her head to look at me and smiles, though it seemed a bit artificial. "Nothing … why do you ask?"

"Come on, Miles … don't lie to me, I know you. What's up?" I ask again. She sighs. "Just my dad … he saw us kissing last night and yeah … he reminded me again how much the bible is against my 'behavior' and so on."

We stop at her locker and she takes her stuff out. I cup her cheek with my right hand and give her a smile. "Don't let it get to you, Miles."

"I won't … as long as I have you around." she replies, turning hear head and kissing my palm, stroking my arm. "I love you." I whisper, which brings a smile upon her face again, a real one.

"I love you, too." she says and leans in, kissing me shortly.

"Eww, it's the lesbos! You just can't control your PDAs!" I hear an annoying voice from one of the most annoying people in school. Amber Addison. I roll my eyes and look over to her. Usually she's just with Ashley Dewitt, but to my surprise I see Jen with them as well. What the heck?

"Who are you to judge, Amber? Last time I saw you, you were dry-humping your man-candy in the school hallway." I shoot back. She doesn't reply since she's definitely caught off guard. I glance at Jen one more time, who's shooting daggers at me and my girlfriend right now, then I add: "And why do you think lesbians are gross? Jen used to have a thing with me … oh, and I think she still has a crush on me or something, since she's always acting jealous when I'm with Miley"

Jen just walks away but Amber and Ashley follow her quickly. I catch Amber yelling something like: "What? Is that true, Jen?"

I roll my eyes again and Miley and I start walking to my locker. As we arrive someone's missing there. "Where's Oliver?"

"Or Joanie?" Miley adds. I raise an eyebrow. I mean, Oliver used to be an airhead like me and ditch school sometimes, but Joanie definitely isn't. And ever since they started dating Oliver hardly ever ditched because Joanie always got mad. I hope everything's okay.

"Maybe they're just late?" I say, even though they're never late. I really hope everything is fine.

---

Okay, so I'm in the middle of soccer practice and I haven't seen Joanie or Oliver the whole day. I texted both of them and neither replied. I'm really getting worried about them.

I feel something knocking against my temple and a slight pain shoots through my head for a few seconds. I turn my head to look at the source and see the ball rolling away from me.

"Truscott! Get your head in the game or leave! This is the nth time you're zoning out today!" the coach yells over at me, visibly annoyed. I sigh and look over at Miley, as if she could help me out with anything. She has a concerned look on her face.

I feel the coach's hand on my shoulder. "You know I want my players on the field with full concentration." he says, then looks over at Miley and back to me: "If she is the cause of the fact that you're distracted then I want her off the field."

"It's not her, coach, I swear! I have things on my mind!" I reply. I won't let him kick Miley off the field. I need her. He looks at me intensely for a few moments before settling for his answer: "Fine. Just go sort things out and come back on Thursday afternoon with full concentration. I don't want to lose the first match on Saturday."

"That's _this_ Saturday?" I ask, shocked. The coach throws daggers at me and I try to come up with something: "I mean yeah, that's this Saturday … just um … wanted to double check." I run off to the sidelines where Miley's standing.

"Lilly, are you okay?" my girlfriend immediately asks me, concerned. We start walking to the dressing rooms. "Oliver and Joanie are still on my mind. I have a bad feeling about them not being here and I don't like having bad feelings."

"Relax, we'll stop by at Oliver's or Joanie's and see what's wrong, okay?" Miley replies, I just nod at that.

---

I decided to drive to Oliver's because they both usually hang out at his place. I literally run up to his door and knock quite loudly a few times. Miley is walking up right next to me and after a few seconds someone opens the door.

As I spot my best friend the first thing I do is lunge forward into his arms, hugging him tightly and feeling a little relieved to see that he is okay. "Lilly!" he sounds surprised and at the same time … sad?

I loosen the hug and take a look at him. He looks horrible, sad, like he's cried all day; he's pale and has dark rings under his eyes. "Oliver … what's wrong? What happened?"

"Why don't you come in and sit down for a minute." he says, his voice is cracking. Whatever is on his mind it got to him really badly and it makes me worry even more. I take Miley's hand and we walk into his living room, sitting down on the big sofa there.

"Oliver, where's Joanie?" I ask him, he just stares at the floor and his eyes watering again. He clenches his fists and bites on his lower lip for a few seconds.

"Joanie lost the baby." he finally says. The room is too quiet for a second and the message starts sinking into me. WHAT?! No! She can't! She couldn't have! "But last week the doctors said- "

"Last week, Lilly! The next appointment was today and I didn't want her to go alone. They couldn't locate a heartbeat … " his voice cracked again at the end of the sentence and tears now run down his cheeks.

"Oliver, that's horrible. I am so sorry for you two." I say and pull him into a hug once more. I knew how much this baby meant to him. He put so much heart in it because he was so happy when they found out that Joanie's pregnant, even though he knew it'd mean horror in school.

"But where's Joanie? Doesn't she want your support?" Miley asks. Oliver tightens under me. I can feel he's holding back crying badly. After a few moments he answers: "She s-said that she w-wants a break … she doesn't know what she's feeling right now."

"Son of a- " Miley clasps her hand over my mouth. How could she be so ungrateful? Oliver loves her with all of his heart!! He wanted this baby so badly because he told me about a million times that she is the one! Didn't she get that? God, I want to hit her right now! She can't treat my best friend like that!

"Lilly, relax. I can understand … I'll call her tomorrow or something. Wouldn't you be confused about everything if your own child died?" he asks me, annoyed that I wanted to curse at his girlfriend.

"No?! I wouldn't be but frankly, I haven't been in that situation before … " I calm down again, " … I'm sorry."

"It's okay … " he replies, sitting back in the couch, wiping away his tears. Miley and I both give him a sympathetic look. "Hey … if you need anything, we're there for you, okay?"

He looks at me and places his hand onto my shoulder. "Thank you so much, you two. This really means the world to me right now. You're the best."

**A/N:** I know, I know … sooooo 'the L word' with the whole baby thing. I'm sorry for everybody who wanted to see the baby, I just felt like I had to do something dramatic to keep the story going. I planned this from the beginning, so that was not on short notice, don't worry. Yeah, I hope you liked the chapter, please leave your thoughts!


	19. Connect

**A/N:** Okay, okay … I am so, so, so, so sorry that I haven't posted anything in such a long time. I had so much to do for school and also a lot of private issues (good ones ;D). So, I finished school now and I am free to write more of this story (I already did ^^), yay =) I hope there are still readers out there who continue reading … I think I wrote some PMs back to authors who PMed me and I promised I would upload around this time. I hope you guys are still there =)

Alright, enough said … enjoy the next chapter =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Connect

I unlock my car and slowly sit in the driver's seat, closing the door. We've been at Oliver's for hours, just talking to him to make him feel better. I really have to have a serious talk with Joanie. I mean, yeah, _she_ lost the baby and is probably crushed like nobody else, but her and Oliver are just meant to be together and she can't leave him alone like that. He is destroyed; he wanted this to happen so badly; he needs her. I mean, he's being an idiot as well for not just showing up at her house, but he respects her too much, I guess. If she says 'stay away' then he just does it.

"Do you think they'll get back together again?" Miley asks me. I turn my head to face her. "Of course, I mean, they didn't really break up … Ollie won't give up on Joanie." I reply and lean my head back against the headrest. Yeah, they'll be fine. I shouldn't be mad; it's actually none of my business … or not much of my business.

I hear Miley's phone vibrating, a few moments later she picks up. "Hey, Jackson … what, why? … but he's just being a jerk again, I can- … I have a really good explanation … can't tell you right now, it's about Oliver and Joanie … yes … yeah, probably … are you sure you can handle him alone? … okay, thanks, Jackson. Love you, big bro, bye."

Miley ends the call and lets out a frustrated sigh. I take her hand in mine and look at her, questioningly. " 'sup?" I add. She turns her head slowly and her eyes look annoyed. She explains: "My dad got mad that I'm not home yet and according to Jackson he's yelling around. He said that I should stay at your place before dad lets it out on me … so … can I crash at your place tonight?"

"Sure. You know you can stay whenever you want to." I reply and give her hand a squeeze. Then, another thought comes across my mind: "Miles … does your dad hit you or something? Because you just said that 'before he lets it out on me'."

"No, no! God, no! My dad might be an idiot sometimes but he's not a monster. He just yells at me the whole time, that's all. And I've had enough of that last night." she explains. I feel slightly relieved. Miley moves over and brushes her lips against mine in a slow and delicate manner. I love the way she kisses me, it makes all of my worries just melt away. And I think she also knows that. She always kisses me just when I think about being worried; and I'm thankful for that.

We pull apart and she sits back in her seat. "Let's go home." she says. I nod and start the engine, driving home.

"Mom, I'm home!" I yell into the house as I kick off my shoes.

"In here!" I hear her voice from the living room. My mom's doing great, by the way. She started therapy and it's really helping her. I am very proud of her as well and we started talking about everything again, so she pretty much knows everything that's going on in my life right now … I'm not sure if I'll tell her about Joanie's and Oliver's baby, but I think I'll wait with that one. I mean, technically it's not my thing to tell.

As I walk into the living room with Miley she looks up and spots us, then smiles. "Hi, honey! And hi, Miley, I didn't know you'll be there tonight, Lilly hasn't told me." she greets us.

We walk over to the couch and I kiss my mom's cheek, adding a short: "Hey, mom." Miley sits down right beside me and replies: "Hey, Mrs. T. I'm sorry to crash today, but my dad found out about Lilly and me on Saturday and he's been yelling … my brother suggested that I shouldn't go home so he wouldn't yell at me the whole time … it's been upsetting me a bit, so … " She drifts off.

Oh, did I mention that my mom and Miley get along really well? When I told Miley that my mom spotted us making out that one day her first reaction was panic. But after I told her that my mom's cool with it and when mom also showed she's cool with it Miley's been really open with her as well. It also makes me happy that they get along so well.

"Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie. You're welcome to stay at our place anytime you need." my mom says and smiles at Miley, who smiles back gratefully immediately. I feel Miley's hand gliding into mine, slowly, intertwining our fingers. I feel goose bumps forming along my arm.

"Do you want me to talk to your father, Miley? Maybe get him to at least think about changing his mind about your and Lilly's relationship?" my mom offers. Wow, I'm surprised. My mom is really cool! I look at my girlfriend and see her thinking about it.

"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. T … I'll come back to you with it, probably, but right now, my dad won't listen to anything or anybody." she replies and gives my mom a reassuring smile, then adds: "I'll be fine for now."

"Okay. You know where to find me." my mom offers again and Miley smiles broader, nodding. I yawn … god, I'm tired. Worrying all day is definitely a waste of energy … at least I had a reason to worry.

"Wanna go to bed, Lil?" Miley asks me. I look at her and nod. We both get up and start walking towards the stairs. "Night, mom!" I say over my shoulder, Miley does the same.

"Night girls, sleep tight!" she replies as we continue walking upstairs and into my room. I plop down on my bed, draping one hand over my eyes. I feel wasted and I sigh loudly.

I still can't believe that Oliver lost his little baby. I remember when he first told me that Joanie's pregnant. I asked him if he's nuts and walked away. I don't know why I did it; I just know I went to his place that afternoon, apologizing for my stupid behavior. He told me that he had this vision about Joanie and him lasting forever and this baby will prove their true love. He seemed so proud. He let me in on everything he wanted to do for Joanie and the baby; that he will be the perfect father anybody could wish for. After that I was really happy for him and knowing his best friend was happy, he was even happier … and now his dream of a perfect family is destroyed. I mean, frankly, they're probably too young for a child, but Ollie's always been that family-guy, he makes people feel comfortable around him and I'm sure they would've made all of those difficulties according teenage pregnancy and whatsoever. I'm sure he would've been the best dad ever.

"Hey, Lil … what's on your mind?" I hear Miley ask me and I feel the bed moving in the place where she just sat down. "Oliver … "

"Thought so … it's really getting to you, is it?" she replies. I nod. "Yeah. Even though it shouldn't … I mean, it's none of my business- "

"He's your best friend, Lilly. You care for him; you have a right to feel that way. I mean, yeah, it probably isn't any of your business but it doesn't mean you can't feel for them." Miley cuts me off. I lift my arm and look at her, sighing again. She sits on my bed, hands placed behind her and she's supporting herself on her arms, facing the ceiling.

"I'm worried about them … both, Joanie and Ollie … it's gonna be hard for them." I say, taking deep breaths afterwards. Silence is filling the room.

Miley speaks up again after a few moments: "Yeah, it is … but we'll support them through this rough time, won't we?"

She turns her head to look into my eyes, smiling slightly. She's right, that's the best thing we can do now, supporting our friends in need. " 'course we will." I reply, smiling as well.

I suddenly feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and I take it out. I got a text message from Oliver.

_wanna ditch school w/ me 2morrow? need sum time w/ my best buddy .._

_ollie_

Hmm … I haven't ditched in some time, so yeah, why not? I'm totally in. I text back:

_sure. can miley come 2?_

_lil_

I haven't even asked her yet, I know, but I want his permission. I mean, if he only wants to spend time with me I can't just take Miley with me. A few moments later my phone vibrates again.

_yea if she wants 2. i'll go 2 bed, i'm tired. meet u 2morrow our usual place. 8.30am_

_ollie_

I put my phone onto my nightstand and look at Miley; she looks up at my ceiling again, deep in thoughts. I move my hand and carefully place it on her thigh. She looks down at me, questioningly.

"Wanna ditch tomorrow?" I ask her. Don't ask me why I think that this question is stupid and pointless. Miley's a straight-A student and probably wouldn't ditch at any cost. Well, at least I'm trying to invite her to my special-time.

"Um … we haven't got any tests tomorrow and … last time we 'ditched' unintentionally, turned out really nice … so … yeah, why not?" she replies and smiles. Seriously? Did she just say she'll ditch school? I sit up quickly, looking a bit shocked. "Miley, you don't have to- "

I feel her index finger on my lips, shushing me. She smiles, removing her finger. "I said I'll ditch with you, Lil. I know I don't have to, but I want to." her face is not even an inch away from mine right now, I see her looking into my eyes, then to my lips, and then back to my eyes. A sudden smirk spreads across her face.

"What?" I ask. She just keeps smirking and keeping me in place, only with her gaze. Miley's the first person to have me in control without actually touching me. I don't know if I'm scared of that or turned on. I usually didn't like anybody being in control, but with Miley it seems different. "Nothing … " she whispers, leaning in a short bit. Her lips hardly touch mine but I melt under her anyways. She could do anything to me now, I wouldn't resist.

I close my eyes and just let the sensation wash over me, my lips parting slightly and I imitate Miley's earlier position of supporting myself on my arms. Her lips are still brushing against mine ever so gently, moving very slowly. After a few moments she adds a bit more pressure, kissing me almost shyly. I kiss back. She lingers for about three seconds before slightly pulling away, moving to my lower lip, very gently taking it between hers, suckling, tugging and nibbling on it for long moments. God, this is killing me. I want to feel more of her so badly right now.

"Mmm … Miley … " I moan, I can't hold it in any longer. I feel Miley smiling slightly against my lips, then she whispers: "Sshh … your mom's downstairs." She lets one hand slip under my shirt, slowly tracing her fingers all over my stomach. "Ugh … M-Miles … "

She giggles, and then slides her tongue into my mouth, pressing her lips harder against mine. I feel helpless under her touch right now, I don't even know if I should move. Her tongue nudging mine indicates me that I _should_ move now. I return the kiss in her manner, not daring to do anything more than she wants right now. Oh god, since when has she become so good with this?

Her fingers tracing over my hot, yet soft skin on my stomach almost make me whimper and squirm under her teasing. As our tongues start battling for dominance her hand moves lower and lower, eventually moving delicately over the front of my jeans – which must be really damp, actually – and I immediately lose the little tongue-duel to Miley. As Miley pulls back in need of air I breathe out: "That was … really unfair."

"Like you care." she throws back with a devilish smirk and runs her hand through my hair. I can hardly control my breathing; the way she looks at me – with those lust-filled eyes – keeps me panting heavily. Her other hand is still lingering between my legs, just not moving. Oh, how I wish my pants would just vanish right now. Her touch is tingling down there but it's not satisfying enough. "M-Miley … " I say, in a begging manner. I can't form a proper sentence as I can't think straight.

"Yes?" she asks, teasingly. She knows exactly what I want right now, but I can't phrase it out loud. I'm so turned on I can't say anything anymore. I feel her hand starting to move between my legs and my eyes widen a bit. "Ah … " is the only sound that escapes my throat right now. "You like?" Miley asks, adding a slight bit more pressure to her hand, still smirking at me. I nod slowly and she leans in to kiss me again.

After a few seconds of attacking my lips she moves to my neck, leaving soft kisses along the whole trail she explores. It's the first time, actually, that she starts making those moves. She's never actually had her hand between my legs like that before, which turns me on even more. I love this boldness; yet, somewhere, I can still sense shyness … and definitely curiosity. I feel my shirt being lifted up and I quickly get rid of it. Her gaze wanders up and down my complete upper-body. I wonder what's going on in her head right now, it's not like she's never seen me before.

I soon feel myself being laid down, Miley's hand moving away from where I need her most right now. "Mmm … Miley … you tease … " I finally can form more than one proper word, I'm almost proud of myself. My girlfriend grins in victory, hovering over me, face to face, noses almost touching. But then, all of a sudden, her expression turns serious and she whispers: "I love you, Lilly."

They way she said those words makes my heart melt. I want to just rip it out and give it to her as a present. Words cannot describe how strongly I feel for this girl. This has never happened to me before. Lilly Truscott has never been in love … until I met Miley. The feelings for my ex were nothing compared to those for Miley. "I love you, too, Miley." I reply in a whisper.

I finally dare to make a move and start fumbling with her belt, opening it. She lets me do it without even blinking. Right after that I open the button and the zipper of her pants and I slide my hand down her front, feeling her excitement. "Anxious, huh?" I ask, smirking. She only blushes and lowers herself to kiss me again. I remove my hand again and slide down her pants. We break the kiss so she can take off hers and I don't hesitate and take mine off as well. Along with her pants I take Miley's shirt off as well, which finally leaves us both in our underwear.

I grab her by the hips and guide her back on top of me; I soon feel her body pressed against mine again. I trace my fingers up her back, to her neck and back down, settling them on her butt. I start nibbling at her collar bone, moving my hands back up and I undo her bra, taking it off slowly. I don't hesitate and slide her panties off as well. A few moments later she mirrors my actions, which then leaves us both completely naked. Miley places herself properly on top of me again and we both settle one hand between the other's legs. Miley leans down to kiss me and I then enter her gently. I then also feel her entering me for the first time, and I swear … making love has never felt better in my short life …

**A/N:** Sorry again for the long wait, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter so … please leave your thoughts =)


	20. Everything Is Going To Be Okay

**A/N:** Alright … and because I'm still really sorry, I uploaded the next chapter to at least try and make it up to you. Thank you sooo much for the fast reviewing, I was so happy when I read them yesterday! You guys rock, so … here's your next chapter =) Enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Everything Is Going To Be Okay

„Girls, get up!" I hear the distant voice of my mother. I breathe in and out slowly. What time is it?

"Girls! Don't make me come in there!" … mom again. I hear grumbling coming from right behind me. "Lil … "

"Hmm … ?" I reply, lazily.

"Why do we have to get up this early? Aren't we like … ditching?" Miley asks me. I turn around and face her. The light shining through my window and right onto her face makes her eyes shimmer in a brighter blue. Wow. I answer: "Well … I don't want my mom to know that we're ditching for now. I mean, I know she'll find out eventually, but … at least then I can properly explain to her why we're ditching today."

"True … " she says; then she smiles at me. I lean in to give her a rather longish peck on the lips until I hear my mom's voice again: "Girls!"

"We're up! Chillax, mom!" I reply, rolling my eyes. I push back the covers and hop out of bed; the warmth from under the comforter immediately leaving my body. Miley and I both take a shower together – it's very tempting to touch her, but we manage to keep our hands to ourselves most of the time – get dressed properly and then brush very quickly.

In the kitchen my mom already fixed our plates. Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. I love my mom's breakfast, and she also loves to make breakfast. "Mornin' mom!" I greet her and sit down at the table. "Mornin' Mrs. T!" I hear Miley saying.

"Morning, girls! Sleep well?" she asks us. Miley and I both exchange looks and we both hide our smiles and blushes. We then both, unintentionally, answer in unison: "Yeah, we did."

"That's great … just … " I look up at my mom and I can see a mischievous smirk forming on her face, " … please be a little quieter next time, okay? I don't want to know _every_ detail going on in my daughter's life."

Miley and I both now blush fiercely. Whoops, I guess we weren't quiet at all last night. "We umm … o-okay, mo-mom." I lamely reply, stuttering. I feel really busted right now. Better get breakfast over with.

I pull the car out of the driveway and hit the road. Phew, finally, awkward moment with mom is over. I really forgot about my mom being downstairs yesterday … and we were … yeah … really loud. My god, this is really embarrassing … and I'm usually not that easily embarrassed about stuff. Oh well …

"Where exactly are we going, Lil?" Miley asks me, looking out of the window a bit absently and … worried? Probably about ditching … or does she think I'll kidnap her? No, she loves me … she probably wouldn't mind me kidnapping her. Not that I ever would do that. Maybe she thinks about her mom …

"Oliver's and my usual ditching spot. It's up the hill close to the place where we went the night two days ago. Remember?" I tell her, then look at her shortly with a questioning face. She smirks. "How can I forget that place?"

"Yeah … " I reply, smiling a little. That was one heck of an evening. She chuckles and then looks back out of the window, absentmindedly.

I pull the car over next to Oliver's white Chrysler Sebring. Miley and I get out of the car and walk over to my best friend. He's standing and just looking over the land in front of him. We're on a hill again, but with an overview over a more deserted area than the city.

"Ollie?" I say, quietly. I don't want to startle him. He turns to face me, slowly. His expression is sad. I walk up to him and wrap him up in a hug. Why does my best friend have to suffer like that?

"How do you feel?" I ask him as we break the hug. He stares out in the open again. His look is blank. "Empty … " he replies. I just keep looking at him, searching in his eyes if there is something more, or if there's something I can do to help. But I can't read him. For once he has shielded himself so much that not even his best friend can read him. I've never seen him like this before.

"I mean … the baby died … Joanie left me … " he continues but trails off. I put a hand on his shoulder but he continues to stare into the open, not moving a muscle. Not even blinking.

"Do you think she really broke up with you?" I ask him. I hope this subject isn't too hard on him right now. He shrugs. Silent tears run down his face. "I don't know … " he replies, " … I hope not."

Then there is silence. I don't really know what to say. I mean, what can I say to him? 'Everything will be fine?' Who knows if it will be? I'm not _that_ optimistic.

"How can life be so great and perfect at some points … and then so fucked up a second later?" he asks. I'm not sure if that question was directed to me, to Miley or to himself. He keeps staring into nothing.

"I think things will work out … and things will be okay." Miley then suddenly says. And he moves. He turns his head sharply towards her, more tears streaming down his face, he looks angry. I just look at my girlfriend in disbelief. She sounds so sure.

"How can you be so sure, huh? Just because your life is perfect?" Oliver snaps at Miley. He is angry. Miley just looks at him, blankly, then replies: "My life is not perfect, Oliver, believe me. My mom died only a short while ago and my dad is rejecting Lilly's and my relationship. I have a lot to deal with as well. But you really want to know why I am so sure?"

Oliver just nods and continues to stare at her, still angry. But I'm really curious right now. Miley continues: "Because a great person once told me, that things are going to turn out fine. And this person's life actually turned out fine because their friends believed in them and helped them through everything. In fact, this great person told me, that you once told them, that everything will be fine someday and that person believed in you."

She stops to let the words sink in a bit. At least now I know exactly what she's talking about and I smile. Miley then continues: "That person, Oliver, is Lilly. Her life was a mess when I met her, but she is happy now. My life is still a mess and she's helping me to stay happy, and it's working, I can see some progress. And Oliver … Lilly and I won't let you down. If we say everything will be okay at some point, then it will be. We will help you through this if you promise us to also be there for us."

Oliver's expression changed again. Shielded. Not readable for me. At least he's not angry anymore. After a few awkward moments of silence he finally moves. He pulls Miley into a hug and invites me to join them, which I gladly do. "Thank you guys so much. I couldn't make this without you. I love you two."

"We love you, too." Miley and I reply in unison. I can feel Oliver's sobs. The poor boy is suffering so much, but I'm sure that a few of those tears are happy tears as well, I just have this feeling.

We've been sitting on that hill for hours. There was hardly any talking; Oliver was a lot in his thoughts. I feel like visiting Joanie at the hospital and maybe talking to her. Maybe she didn't mean what she said. I just want them to be happy again.

I suddenly hear sobs again, but this time they're coming from Miley. I look over to her and see that she's crying. "Miley, honey, what's wrong?" I ask and rush over to her.

"Nothing, I'm fine." she replies and wipes her tears away, but new ones stream down immediately after. I put my arm around her and kiss her cheek softly. "Talk to me, sweetie." I brush some more tears away with my thumbs.

"Lil, really, it's nothing. I was just thinking about my mom … " she explains. I give her a sympathetic look and pull her into a hug. Then suddenly I feel another pair of strong arms wrapping around us. It's Oliver. He seemed to have heard Miley.

"It's okay, Miley … everything is going to turn out fine … right?" he says, before even smiling a little at her. Miley turns her head to face him, a little bit shocked. She also smiles at him and then hugs us even tighter.

"Hey guys … I better go visit Joanie. Maybe she's willing to talk to me." Oliver tells us and breaks the hug. I look up at him. "Should we join you?"

"Nah, it's fine, Lilly. I kinda need to do that on my own." he replies, burying his hands in his pockets. I nod.

"Okay, call us if you need anything, alright?" Miley says, her voice not shaky anymore. She regained fast from that little crying fit.

"Alright … oh and Miley … that was one heck of a pep-talk. Thanks a lot." Oliver replies.

"Welcome." Miley stands up and hugs him again, shortly. Oliver pats my shoulder and then walks to his car, driving away. I watch as the car disappears around the next corner.

Then silence.

"You think he's gonna be better? He really seemed upset." Miley asks me and sits back down next to me. I nod. "Yeah, I think so. I have to agree, that really was quite a talk, Miles. I couldn't have said it better myself."

She smiles at me. "Thanks." I just turn to look over the area again. I'll still at least text Joanie. I mean, I have her number, even though I think I've never ever used it before. I turn back to Miley again and ask: "Wanna go home?"

Miley nods and adds: "Sure. Just one more thing … " She leans closer and presses her lips to mine very softly. I immediately return the kiss, smiling a bit. I feel her tucking on my lower lip and she has this devilish look in her eyes. Miley then crashes her lips against mine again, her tongue finding the way into my mouth, searching for mine and battling it for dominance. This time I don't let her win the little tongue-game and it's time for me to take control over the kiss. I continue to kiss her intimately, put my hand on her stomach, to the hem of her shirt and then slowly slide it beneath it, tracing it over her stomach. Up and down … and up … and down. "Mmm … " Miley moans into the kiss, but I have to break it shortly afterwards in need of oxygen.

"Miles … I don't think we should do that up here … and I'm still a little pre-occupied with Ollie, you know? I'm not exactly in the mood. I'm sorry …" I say, she just nods in agreement, "I understand. It's okay. Sorry."

I sigh and get up. "Wanna go grab an ice-cream or something?"

"Yeah, sure, sounds great." she replies and gets up as well. We head to my car.

As Miley and I walk along the beach to Rico's – which we decided to go to get some ice-cream – we spot Jackson working again. There aren't a lot of customers and he's not working, but he's not alone either. He's talking to a girl, or should I say flirting? At least it looks like he's flirting. He has this flirtatious grin on his face.

I stop Miley and whisper: "Look at that, Miles." pointing out to her brother. She now also looks at him and grins. "Looks like he met someone, huh?" she says.

"Should we leave him?" I ask. Miley shakes her head. "Nah, I want some ice-cream. Plus, I want to meet her and know if she's a nice girl."

"Come on, Miley. I don't think your brother would date a stupid girl." I tell her. She looks at me, thinking shortly, then shrugs. "True. But I still want my ice-cream."

She takes my hand and we walk over to the bar. "Hey, Jackson!" Miley greets her brother. I just wave at him as he looks over at us. "Hey you two!"

"Who's your girl?" Miley immediately asks. Very smooth, Miles …

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's Nina." he introduces the girl to us and walks over to Miley, whispering, still loud enough for me to hear: "And she's not my girl … yet." I grin, then look at her. She's about my height, slim, black hair, very straight, bangs and they're about shoulder long. She's wearing a short, greenish dress and flip-flops.

"And Nina, this is my sister, Miley, and her girlfriend, Lilly." he introduces us two. "What's up?" I greet her and give a smile. Don't wanna scare her off, but something is wrong with her, she raises her eyebrow. "Girlfriend as in friend or couple?"

"Relationship, actually, but yeah … couple." I answer, she frowns and turns to Jackson: "Hey, you never told me your sister is a dyke."

Ouch. What was that for? I glare at her and take Miley's hand in mine, squeezing it lightly. Jackson sets up a serious face. "Why does it matter?"

"Because" she starts and her tone is annoyingly bitchy right now, "that changes my mind about you a lot. I mean, you're friends with a homo, no two actually, not to mention related to one. That's disgusting."

"Hey, that was uncalled for!" I snap at her and prepare for a word duel, but Jackson raises a hand, then looks at me: "Lilly, let me handle this." I nod and relax a bit. He turns back to Nina. "If you have a problem with my sister and her girlfriend, I seriously don't care if you think this is disgusting, or I'm disgusting. If you don't at least accept my sister then I'm afraid I also can't accept you."

Woah … Jackson … that was … man. I feel sorry for him, I mean, he finally met a girl and now he tells her to back off? He really is the best brother in the whole world. I wish I had a bro like him.

"Well then I'm outta here." Nina replies and walks away. Jackson shakes his head and sighs.

"Jackson, um … I'm sorry, we didn't want to -" I start but Jackson cuts me off: "No, hey, don't be. I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't know she was a homophobe, girls. It's fine, seriously."

"Are you sure, I mean you seemed to like her." Miley finally says something. Good, at least she's not too upset. Jackson just shakes his head. "I'm sure, Miles. She was just a flirt, that's all. And like I said to her, if she can't at least accept you two then she's seriously not worth it. I'm good. I mean, I have found other friends, right?"

"Yeah. And thanks, Jackson. You're the best." Miley replies and smiles at him. Jackson then grins. "I'm tryin' "

"Say can we have some ice cream?" Miley orders, Jackson nods. "What kind?"

"Um … one scoop of strawberry, please." my girlfriend says. Jackson nods, then turns to me: "What about you, Lilly?"

"Chocolate … also one scoop." I reply, grinning. Miley looks at me, a bit surprised: "Wow, I never figured out that you like chocolate?"

"Yeah, I love it." I reply, still grinning like a little child. Miley pats my head and adds: "Awww, little Lilly likes her chocolate … how cute." then she leans in and kisses me shortly.

Even though she's picking on me right now, I don't care. She's cute when she's picking on me, actually. I like it. And as strange as it sounds, it's kinda hot. But I turn serious again because something is still on my mind. I move closer to Miley and whisper: "Hey, Miles … are you okay? I mean 'cause of that stupid Nina-person?"

Miley smiles and nods, then cups my cheek with her right hand. "I'm fine, honey. Don't worry. Homophobes run around everywhere, right? Plus, I won't see her again, right?"

"Yeah, true." I reply and smile. Miley leans in to kiss me again softly. I hope things will really work out sometime.

**A/N:** Next update will come soon, I did some writing in the last few days. I'm happy I overcame my writer's block … and for this chapter, please leave your thoughts ;D


	21. Cold

**A/N:** Again ... I am so sorry for letting you guys wait for this long! School is over and I still haven't got any time (travelling, ...). Anyways, I'm not gonna blabber about something so just enjoy this chapter ;)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Cold

It's Saturday morning. I'm at school because of the soccer match. It's the first one this school year and not too important. I think we haven't really lost a game in quite some time. Miley is with me, and even Oliver. Joanie is at home, I haven't heard from her after we met up with Oliver. Okay, why should she call me or anything? I haven't texted her either. Ollie said she's holding up. He is as well.

Oliver and Joanie didn't break up. He went to the hospital and talked and made up. He called me that night and told me everything that happened. Ollie said that Joanie told him that she didn't even know why she said those things, why she almost broke up with him, when she actually needed him with her. She said when she heard the news – that the baby died – she couldn't think straight, everything was spinning and so she didn't really think about what she said, and when she told him that she didn't know what she's feeling, she rather meant that she's really confused and he kind of got the wrong message. Oh, and that she was really sorry.

Oliver also told me that she left the hospital the day after and yeah, that he's always at her place, cheering her up as much as he can. And from what I picked up, she's very grateful and – like I already said – holding up better. She can cope with it and she tries just to make the best out of the situation.

I'm standing at the side, talking to my girlfriend and my best friend.

"Nervous?" Miley asks me. I shake my head. I'm not nervous before games if I know that we practiced hard. Plus, the rivals aren't the hardest. We've already won against them, I'm not sure how many times.

"Not really. I'm cool." I reply and smile. Ollie pats my back. "That's the Lilly I know."

"Truscott!" I hear the coach shout. I excuse myself and go to him.

"I swear, if that girl of yours distracts you, I'll make sure she's off the field." he warns me. I roll my eyes at him, then reply: "You've made that clear the last few trainings, coach. And seriously, do you think I'll play better if she's off the field?"

"Well then if she distracts you, you're out!" he says. This is getting lame and boring. He can't threaten me like this. "And you would really want to lose your best player? Good choice, coach."

Then I start walking off. He shouts after me: "Warm up, Truscott!"

I shortly walk over to my friends and say: "Guys, I gotta go. See you at half time!"

Oliver hugs me and says: "I'm looking forward to seeing you playing again, Lil. You're gonna be awesome!"

"Thanks, man." I reply, then I go to Miley and kiss her shortly. She looks lovingly into my eyes and smiles. "Love you…" she whispers. I peck her on the lips again. "Love you, too, Miles."

I run over to my team and we start warming up.

The sun is burning as the game goes on. I'm sweating really badly, it's too hot. We're at the last few minutes of the first half of the game, one of my teammates just passed me the ball and I run at the goal, everybody else following me. This is my chance! I can hear the crowd cheering. It's not too many people, but luckily there are a lot of soccer fans at school. I can also hear Miley and Oliver yelling my name. I keep running and running. I know exactly where I want to kick the ball at. Now is the time. I aim and … boom! Some other girl of the other team hits me on the side hard, ow! Still, the ball is flying in the direction I wanted to shoot … but just a bit off my line … miss. Damn …

I glare at the girl who hit me. "What the fuck was that?" I ask her. She's a blonde, just like I am, maybe a bit stronger than me, but basically the same size.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't on purpose." she says, hiding a smudge grin. I continue to glare at her. The referee whistles and holds up a yellow card to her. "Yellow?" I'm a bit speechless. That should've been a fucking red, man!

"Come on, man! That was a foul in the penalty area!" I tell him, but he shakes his head. Asshole. I never liked him. The girl smirks at me again and I just walk off. Fuck!

I go to my place on the field and wait for it to continue. I run at the ball again, not really paying attention to the rest of the team. I want that goal and I want it now. I'm angry and I feel great. This time I'll do it! I quickly snatch the ball and run at the goal again, dodging every player who tries to stop me. Finally, this is the Lilly-Run! Nobody can get to me now. I aim again, knowing exactly where I want to shoot.

A whistle. No! No, not now! No, fuck! I want to fucking … whatever. I glare at the referee and then head over to my team. End of the first half. 1:1 …

"That asshole did that on purpose." I say to my coach. He sighs. "Probably. But that was one of your unstoppable Lillyl-Runs, huh? You still got it, just do it the next game and we'll win this! I know you can do this, Truscott."

"Sure, coach." I say. We plan out the next half of the game and when we finish, I go to Miley and Oliver.

"Hey you two." I greet them. Miley smiles at me and wraps me up in a hug, saying: "You were amazing out there! Oliver told me that you did a Lilly-Run. I never heard about that?"

"Oh, come on, it's not _that_ special." I say. Seriously, what's the biggie?

"Are you kidding me? Lilly, you won a lot of games with that thing! And you will win this one and show that bitch who can play and who can't!" Oliver tells and points at the girl who crashed into me.

"Yeah, are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Miley asks, protectively. I smile at her. "Yeah, sure, Miles. It just stung a little. All good now." Miley also smiles relieved and kisses me softly. Mmm, just what I needed.

"Truscott!" I hear the coach shouting again. The game is continuing.

"Alright. Let's get ready for round two, huh?" I say. Both friends wish me luck again and I run out on the field.

The second half is so much better than the first. We play perfectly together. It's 3:1 for us and we're not stopping yet, we're top! It's almost the end of the game, but I want a Lilly-Run again! The rivals are close to our goal so I sprint there. As one of the girls wants to shoot I stop the ball, snatch it away from her and run frantically towards the rival's goal. Perfect, I'm in my zone now. I can hear my friends shouting, the crowd is cheering and I shortly look to one side, seeing Miley and Oliver jumping, smiling and shouting. And to my surprise, Joanie is with them. I haven't noticed that she actually came to the game. I grin. Then I look to the other side and suddenly I spot a face which makes all the blood in my veins go cold. Hard features and the same cold and ice-blue eyes as mine when I'm angry, just that he always has them. Everything seems to be running in slow motion. Why is he here?

"Dad … " I whisper, but I don't stop my running. My smile drops now and I just concentrate on my Lilly-Run. If he's here to make me down I will disappoint him. It's only me, the ball and the goal now. No other players are on the field, no goalkeeper. I can't hear the audience anymore. Everything is silent. I aim again, I hit the ball hard and it flies off and into the goal. The goalkeeper didn't even have a chance to dodge it. 4:1.

I turn and my teammates all jump around, screaming and yelling. I just stand there and search for my dad again. When I find him I glare at him. I win. He walks away.

I suddenly lighten up again and jump around with my teammates as well. I can see Miley, Oliver and Joanie shouting my name and smiling as well. The referee whistles. End of the game. We win!

I'm already showered and packed my stuff. I just put on my T-Shirt and walk out of the locker room. My friends said they'll wait outside. As I walk out the door I spot him again. His presence, again, makes my body grow cold. I glare at him again.

"What do you want from me, dad?" I think I haven't spoken to him like that, ever. I hardly ever spoke normally to him, actually. He practically never existed for me. "Are you here to tell me how crappy I played, or what?"

"You played very nicely, Lilly." he says, to my surprise, "Which is actually why I am here." His voice is rough and deep, just like I remember it, yet surprisingly kind. "Congratulations."

"I don't get it, why are you here? You never cared!" I say, I feel tears in my eyes. I hate him! I just want him to just vanish. I run out of the hallway.

"Lil, over here!" Miley shouts. I quickly wipe away the tears and run over to my friends. Miley is the first to hug me and catch my lips in an intense kiss.

"You are the best, that was so great!" she adds after our lips part again, beaming at me. I smile back.

"Lilly is back, like nothing changed!" Oliver shouts and gives me a high five, then wraps me up in a bear-hug. "You were even better than last year!"

"Thanks to you all, guys." I reply and grin broadly. Fuck my dad, he can't get to me like my friends do.

"Congrats, Truscott. Nice work." even Joanie congratulates me. We used to play together in the team, but because of the baby, she couldn't play this time. She's also a pretty good player.

"Alright, who wants to go to grab some pizza? It's on me because Lilly is the star of the day!" Oliver asks us. We're all in and head towards his car. It's our tradition, eating pizza after a successful soccer-game.

"Hey, Truscott. Can I talk to you for a second?" Joanie asks and pulls me aside. I look at her, questioningly.

"I think I never thanked you properly." she says. I raise my eyebrow. "What for?"

"Oliver told me you and Miley cheered him up. He also said that if it weren't for you two, he wouldn't have come to the hospital that day and I'd probably still be a little … distant or so. I'm glad he came. I needed him as much as he needed me." Joanie then says. I give her a little smile. "No prob, Polumbo."

We start walking again. A question pops into my head: "So, what about you and soccer?"

"I already talked to the coach. I'll start practice on Monday with you guys. He lets me play on the team again." she answers, looking happy about that.

"Wow, so we're teammates again, huh?" I reply, looking her, smirking a bit. "Yup, looks like it." she says and also grins at me.

"Hey, Pulombo … " I start turning serious, there's still one thing on my mind, "I think you and Ollie belong together. And guess what, he does, too. I just couldn't let this happen … you know … that you two broke up or something. You seemed happy and you still seem happy."

Joanie stops and looks at me, surprised.

"Wow, Truscott … I don't know what to say. Thank you." she smiles at me, we start walking again, then continues: "You know that I think the same thing, right? That Oliver is the one for me. I've never felt so safe and comfortable at somebody's side until I met him."

"That's good to hear." I say, smiling at her. Frankly, I like this side of her. She's a good person. I remember when we two fought over a game of flag football, when she had to shave off her hair because she lost the game. Also good times.

"I also think you and Miley are really great together." she then says, also giving me a smile. "And I told you that she'll be crazy about you, remember that, T-Cott!"

"Yep, you were right, P-Bo. She's the one for me." where did that name just come from? Like I ever nick-named Joanie. Who cares, she's being nice again, which is quite cool.

"Wow, you made it to the car, guys. Congratulations." Oliver teases us as we finally arrive the car. Joanie walks up to him and gives him a quick kiss. "Sorry, Big-O, I had to tell Lilly something which I had on my mind."

"O-kay? Guess that's good and settled?" he looks a bit surprised. Joanie never talked to me privately, and Ollie knows we used to be rivals. I nod at him and he grins, probably happy that Joanie and I finally get along.

"Now let's go eat, I'm starving!" I order and we all hop into Oliver's car, Miley and I cuddling up in the backseat.

"Thanks for the ride, Ollie!" I say and hug my best friend shortly. Miley does the same and I even hug Joanie shortly. I look at her again, nodding and smiling. She also nods and then says goodbye to Miley, then they drive off.

We're staying at my house tonight. Mom's not home yet. Saturday usually is her busy day. We walk into the house and I plop down on the sofa.

"Want something to drink, honey?" Miley asks me. I look at her and smile. "Water would be great."

"Well then water it is." she says and adds a kiss on my lips before she shortly disappears in the kitchen.

When she sits back down and I drank some water I notice a rather concerned look on her face. I raise my eyebrows. "Miles, you okay?"

She takes a deep breath and turns her body more into my direction. "What happened on the field when you headed for your last goal?" she then asks. Damn, I though nobody noticed. Play it cool, Lil. "What are you talking about? I just ran for that goal, concentrated."

"No, Lilly. I know you that much." she replies.

My head drops and I stare at the floor shortly. Silence. I sigh, then I look back up. "I saw my dad. He was at the game." I reply. Again, silence.

"Lilly, are you sure?" she asks, her voice reveals a bit of concern. I nod, "Yeah … unfortunately. When I walked out of the locker room he was there again."

"Well … did you talk to him?" she asks, now also a bit curiously.

"Yep … " is my only answer. Why is it so hard to talk about it? Nothing really happened, right?

"Lil, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm just trying to help … " she replies, a bit more quietly and also a bit disappointed. Oh, no, Miles, don't be mad at me!

"I want to … it's just … I don't even know what it is." I tell her, looking a bit helplessly into her eyes. I then feel her hand in my hair and a small smile on her face. "Take your time, honey."

"Alright … he actually told me that I played good. Which surprised me a bit. But I don't know what he wanted or wants from me, Miley! I mean, he can't just show up like that after he treated me like this!" I'm starting to panic a little. Miley wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a warm embrace.

"Shhh … " it calms me a bit. I don't like the dad subject. She continues: "Lilly, I really don't know why your dad showed up. Maybe he finally came a bit to his senses?"

"He can't, he just simply can't! He was an asshole all my life, why should he be nice now? It doesn't make any sense to me!" this is driving me nuts! What does he want from me? He never liked me!

I feel Miley's hand stroking through my hair. I take in a long breath and let it out again. Fuck …

"I'm sorry, Lilly. It was just a suggestion, I didn't want to offend you." Miley says. I look at her, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Miles. I didn't even mean it like that. The whole subject just makes me … crazy."

"Don't worry, Lilly. I'm really sorry I can't help you out. I've never been in a situation like that. But I'm here for you whenever you need me, okay?" she says, smiling at me again. I smile back. It does make me feel better, knowing that she's there. Her head is coming closer to mine and soon we melt into a deep kiss.

It's three hours later and we're lying in my bed, naked. You can probably imagine what we did. Miley dozed off a few minutes ago. She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping, like she has no worries in her life. And I like it when the evening light is shining through my window, it makes her skin look so soft, like the silkiest piece of silk I've ever touched. And it looks so perfect, like nobody has ever touched it before.

I suddenly hear my cell phone buzzing. Who could be calling now? Did Oliver forget something? I check the caller-ID. Just a plain number I don't know. Hmm. I pick up anyways, I'm curious.

"Hello?" I say into the phone.

"_Lilly?"_

A deep voice. I recognize it though. Fuck … dad …

"What?" I ask, rather annoyed.

"_Lilly … you ran away so quickly I didn't even have a chance to talk to you."_

"So? How did you get my number?"

"_Lilly it's not like I wrote down your number when you got it."_

True … we just never talked on the phone … never.

"_Please, Lilly. Let me explain everything."_

What the … is that all about? Now, after all of these years? Maybe I should give him a chance … what if it hurts? "Well then … "

"_Not on the phone … can we meet up sometime? I want to talk to you face to face … "_

"I … " I drift off. I don't know if I can face him. I don't know if I wouldn't just break down or be scared or I don't know what, kill him for being an asshole all the time? I should give him a chance, though. I mean … he does have a right to explain himself, right? I can always go away and never have to see him again. "Okay … "

**A/N:** Hmm ... what the heck am I up to now? Bringing up her dad like this xD You'll find out soon, though, int he mean time I hope you liked the chapter. Oh yeah and please leave your thoughts ;)


	22. Give It A Try

**A/N:** Alright, time for me to upload another chapter! I'm sorry that my uploads aren't as quick as they used to be, but I'm having quite a lot to do, so I won't be uploading too regularly .. I'm sorry ! But enjoy the chapter, I'm not planning on quit writing the story ;)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Give It A Try

"Who called?" Miley asks. She woke up just now. I'm not sure how much of the conversation she heard. I look at her. "My dad."

"Oh … hey, Lil. You okay?" she sits up and brushes my bangs out of my face. I drop my head shortly, breathing out but then I look back up. I answer: "Yeah, I guess so. He uhm … " I pause, sighing, "we will meet tomorrow. He wants to talk to me … in person. And explain everything."

"That's … good? Or … " Miley is not sure what she should say. Hm … me neither. I shrug. "I guess so."

We both lay back down onto our backs. Suddenly, another thought pops into my mind: "Should I tell mom?"

"I don't know … I'm not sure how it affects her when you bring up your dad. I mean, from what I've heard she was always cursing about him." Miley tells. She's right. Sometimes my mom spots something at the household which still belongs to my dad or so, and every time she finds something she kind of lashes out on it, starts cursing about dad.

"Yeah … maybe I'll just, you know … won't tell her until I talked to dad. I mean … I can always tell her, right?" I ask, more myself than Miley. But she nods anyways.

Okay, _now_ I'm nervous. It's 2:54 pm and I'm almost at the café my dad wants to meet me. He said at 3 pm so I'm right on time. I just have to take the next left and I'm there. My mom didn't suspect a thing, Miley and I left my house simultaneously, just saying we're heading out. What she doesn't know is that Miley went home and I headed off to see my dad. So my mom really couldn't suspect anything. Still, it felt strange. It's like when you drive without a license and you think that everybody knows you don't have the license with you … or you don't have it at all – not that I ever did that.

I'm parking the car into an empty parking spot, turn off the engine, hop out of the car and close the door. I check if I have all my belongings and then lock my car. My heart is beating fast in my chest. Miley's not here, mom's not here. I'm by myself now and I have to do this. I take a deep breath and turn, looking at the café. A place I've been to before often, yet now it feels like I see it for the first time. As if I am seeing it in another light which doesn't seem familiar at all. For Christ's sake, Lilly, get yourself together!

I start walking towards the entrance and my heart is beating even faster. I feel a little shaky and my knees are going weak. I take another deep breath and enter the building. I look around and see a man sitting at a table, looking at me. His eyebrows shoot up in recognition and I think he even smiles a little at me, then nods. I walk over to the table and sit down at the opposite side. I put my mobile phone on the table right between me and him; it makes me feel a little safer. I am stiff and my hands are cold and sweaty. I force myself to look at him.

"Hey, Lilly." he greets me in a strong and deep, yet soft voice. What is up with him?

"Hi." I reply and my voice cracks as I say this simple word. I breathe in and out deeply again and I'm trying not to let him notice. I put my hands on the table and realize that they are shaking a bit. My dad looks at them as well and then at me.

"Don't be nervous, Lilly. I'm not here to fight or argue with you. I'm here to talk." he tries to calm me down. I shake my head. "I'm not nervous. I'm just … my hands are just always shaky." I try not to sound nervous but instead it came out a little harsh.

He raises an eyebrow, then shrugs it off and replies: "Okay." I'm still trying to calm myself down. Dad searches his pockets for something and takes out a little package. Out of this he pulls a cigarette and asks: "Do you mind me smoking?" I shake my head. Then he asks: "Do you want one?"

I think about it for a second. I used to smoke for a short time but then once I had a little too much and puked my guts out. I never touched a cigarette ever since. I remember how it used to calm me down a little. And one cigarette won't hurt, right? I take one and my dad lends me his lighter. I take a drag and breathe out. I was right, I'm slowly starting to calm down.

"I didn't know you smoke." he says, trying to start a proper conversation. I shrug. "I'm not. Just … sometimes."

"Don't worry. You're old enough to decide by yourself if you want to destroy your body in this way or not." he replies. I look at him. "You are, too."

He takes another drag. "I know. In my case it's too late anyways."

"May I have your orders?" a waitress interferes. My dad and I both decide on a coffee and she leaves again. We even picked the same sort, a cappuccino.

I sigh. "You can always stop smoking, you know." Now it's his time to shrug. This conversation is awkward. I don't care if he kills himself with cigarettes, considering the way he used to treat me.

He changes the subject: "You know, you played very well out on the field yesterday. I saw the whole match." He tries to start a different small talk. Why doesn't he just say the most important thing so I can go? "Thanks … "

"Did that last crazy run of yours have a name? I heard somebody say it's your special thing or something." he asks me. I look up at him again. He adds: "It was quite fascinating."

What's up with the compliments? "Yeah. they call it the Lilly-Run."

"Well what do you say. You truly are my daughter. Did the coach give it that name?" he smirks a little. I tilt my head to the left. "Uhm, yeah, he did. Why?"

"You know, I was on exactly the same soccer team. And you know the coach is not the youngest anymore. He was my coach as well. I used to do something very similar and I think the coach likes naming activities. Maybe he thinks he'll one day be famous by doing this. Mine was called the Unstoppable-Paul or something. I never liked it." he tells me, shaking his head and smiling a little at the memory. "Good times."

I have to admit. This is the first time I think my dad is being friendly. I mean, the time before my parents started fighting he treated me like I didn't exist or just that he didn't want me in his life. I take the last drag of my cigarette and put it out in the ashtray.

The waitress serves our coffees and leaves again.

Okay, for people who think it's an eternity that my dad was in school, it isn't. I think my parents were about nineteen when my mom had me. Dad and her met at prom and started dating or whatever. My mom always said that she knew they were meant to be together and so they married and had me. So much for that …

Now my mom's a waitress at a stupid restaurant in nowhere and well, my dad went to college. At least that's what my mom always said.

"So … Lilly … I said I wanted to talk to you." he finally starts. Oh god, here it comes. I don't know what he is going to say. I don't know what he wants from me! Shit, calm down, Lilly! Just listen what he has to say …

I just nod and he continues: "Alright. Where do I start?" He thinks about it for a minute. "Well … I'm sure you want to know why I … how should I put that … never treated you well … like you deserved it … like a dad should treat his daughter … right?"

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. I nod again, now I'm all ears.

"Maybe I should go back a bit. I think you know the story Heather always told you … about how we met and so on?" he asks and again I nod. This time I add an insecure: "Yes … ?"

"Uhm … it wasn't … the exact truth. I mean … maybe it was the truth from your mother's side. But I want to explain mine." He pauses again, obviously searching for the right words.

"Lilly, I don't want this to sound rude or anything, so I'm sorry if I need a second to think. I don't want to hurt you … not again." he tells, looking a little helpless. Wow … he sounds surprisingly kind. It really is the first time I've seen my dad like this. I think I might like this side of him. As long as it is true what he says.

After a minute of thinking he finally starts: "Okay. I presume you already have some experiences when it comes to dating and stuff like that. And … well I was eighteen when I met your mother. It was our senior prom, we were in the same grade but we didn't have any classes together and frankly, I didn't even notice her until my best buddy in high-school called my attention to her a bit. And you know what boys are like, at prom we had this bet that we will each get a girl … at least for a one-night stand. I'm sorry if this is too awkward for you, Lilly, but I think you deserve to know the truth." He pauses a second. Talking about my dad's one-night-stands is awkward, yes, but I don't mind it too much right now. "It's okay." I say.

"Good. So yeah, this buddy made me bet that I'll get Heather and he'd get some other girl. And for me it wasn't really difficult to get a girl, your mother was no exception. I was the soccer-captain. I mean, I wasn't as good as our football-captain, but I think you can relate to that. I was one of the popular kids in school." and at this point I had to interfere shortly: "You were a jock?"

My dad laughs shortly. "Yeah, I guess so." I sigh and shake my head. I never would've thought that. I then give him back my attention.

"Alright, so I was a jock. And so I danced with Heather, we made out and I took her to a quite fancy room this evening. So I was not the guy to just, you know, take her to the backseat of my car or something. I did prefer a bed and I treated her well. I do have respect towards women, trust me." he tells me. I try to hide a snort and a sudden anger comes up in me. What about his co-worker. Isn't he fucking her? I decide to not ask the question. Maybe later.

"And well, it was nice … with your mother I mean. It was good and she was sweet and everything. And the next day … she wanted a relationship. And I thought yeah, why not. So we dated and well … after a short while she told me she was in love with me … " he pauses. It seems like it's a little harder for him to continue now. He looks me directly into the eyes and I see a familiar pair of eyes. I looked into the same eyes every time I look into the mirror. I have his eyes. But I know this gaze … it is a true one.

He then continues: "I just didn't feel the same, but I lied. I told her that I love her as well. And I regret it now. A moment later she told me she was pregnant. I didn't know what I was thinking when I agreed to supporting her with the baby."

Ouch, this statement stings in my guts as if he stabbed me with a knife and it feels like the blood is leaving my body. I feel tears stinging in my eyes but I won't cry in his presence. I simply won't do it. I glare at him. "So you're saying I was a mistake?" I ask, coldly. God, I want to hit him so badly right now. For a moment I actually thought he was being nice and friendly!

"Shit … no, Lilly, this came out the wrong way. Lilly, don't be mad at me. Please wait until I finish!" he almost pleads. I still can't believe that this has a good end. I sigh again, angrily, also trying to blink back tears … successfully. What lame excuse has he got now?

"Lilly, I supported your mother. And because Heather's parents were super-conservative I supported her so much that I married her, so her family wouldn't kick her out!" he pauses again and I let the words sink in. So he fucking married my mother because he felt sorry for her? I can't believe this! How can he say this as if it weren't a big deal? I feel the urge to just jump up and go, but at the same time, I want to stay and hear the rest. So I stay calm.

"Your mother was always so nice to me, Lilly. I couldn't let her down like this. I had it all planned. I had it in my head that I would support her but eventually break up and get a divorce. I didn't want it to escalate like this … in the middle of her pregnancy I started to feel a little closer to her and I actually liked the idea of having a family with Heather … and this whole plan vanished. I thought that we could be happy, just like a normal family. The more time we spent together the better I felt being with your mother. I attended college so I could get a good job to make money for this little family." for a brief second I actually think it sounds sweet. But just for the split of a second. He still left her in the end!

"And then you were born and it felt really cool, being a dad … but the feeling didn't last too long. I started worrying about what might happen. I mean, apart from all the usual worries as a dad I started worrying if this affection towards your mother would still grow or stay … it never grew. It lasted while I was in college and she raised you. But then I finished and got a job … the worries grew stronger and stronger and I didn't want to hurt you so I just stayed at a distance to you. And the affection started to leave."

Or better, he probably didn't want to hurt himself, huh? I was a kid, he fucking hurt me because he wasn't the dad I always wanted to have!

I breathe in and out again. My dad lights himself another cigarette and I take one as well. Fuck …

"And in the end you two fought … but why? I thought you wouldn't let her down?" I ask him. Why the fuck did he do this?

"It started the day she found out about my affair … well it's a steady relationship now. I don't know if you ever noticed-" I interrupt rudely again: "Yeah I know about it … "

"Okay … I'm sorry you found it out another way. I met Carol at work and compared to all the other girls I ever dated – including your mother – I felt … I felt this thing for her. I felt comfortable in her presence, I felt good. And whatever your mother ever told you about her or I don't know … I fell in love with Carol. And well the fighting started when your mother found out about Carol. I felt steady with your mother, but you can't compare it to what I feel for Carol." he explains. I take a deep drag from the cigarette and wait a few moments before I breathe out the smoke again.

I don't know why I think I know what he must have felt when he met this Carol-person. I think if I would've met Miley when I was with Rachel … I would've done the same thing. Just that mine and Rachel's story is different of course but that's not the point now. Damn.

"Well does … _Carol_ … know all this as well?" I ask my dad. He nods. "Every detail. And frankly she wanted to meet you but I also had to explain to her that we don't have a good relationship so … never mind. You know, every time I went to her, cursing about your mother because she was simply annoying me, Carol tried to calm me down. She never wanted to do your mother any harm and she never spoke bad about her. Because I told her and she understands. And I'm really happy about it."

I feel blank. I don't know what to say about all this. It is a whole fucking lot of information, and I don't know where to put it. I have to talk to Miley and Oliver about this. "But why are you being so nice to me then, when you didn't want to hurt me? Because you did, dad!" he looks at me again. Oh fuck, did I just say that out loud? Please don't be mad and hit me, like you hit mom!

"Well, that's simple, Lilly. I was young, you know. I had the usual dad worries and as a young father with not a lot of support I didn't even know how to treat you properly. I was scared of making a mistake so I kept being distant." he explains. It still doesn't make any sense. "So you basically did that to protect yourself?" I ask. My dad sighs. "Probably ... "

Tears sting in my face again. This is so messed up. Where does he want to get with this? "Then why are you nice to me now?" I ask again.

"I'll tell you a little story, Lilly. To explain and answer. Maybe it helps. My dad was a busy man, he tried to treat me like a son but I didn't come up to his expectations and he was always angry with me. And after that big fight with Heather, where you showed up, and where I looked at you pretty intensely, I started thinking. And when I looked at you there, scared of me, I felt a little like an idiot and also a little like my dad. I didn't want you to grow up more or less without a father. I mean, you're grown up a lot now, but there is time left. And I wanted to at least try sooner than later. I mean you're seventeen now … and if you let me … and only if you want and let me … then I can try to be like a real dad. I have grown up, too, you know. And I would really like to give it a try." he now finishes off his big talk.

I stare at him. A million thoughts running through my head. What should I say now? How can he want to be a dad when he practically didn't want me in first place? Could this end good or bad? Fuck!

"You don't have to answer now, Lilly. You can take your time." he tells. I look at my coffee and realize I haven't even taken a sip since the waitress served it. I finally manage to do so. It's cold already, but I don't mind too much.

"Why did you hit mom that day? When I was there?" I ask, "You said you supported her and whatsoever! You are a liar, dad!"

He drops his head in defeat and sighs. He's quiet for a minute and I just wait for an answer. I am mad and frankly, I'd rather shout at him and hit him like he hit mom, so he knows what she must have felt like.

Then he looks up at me, answering honestly: "I could make up a thousand lies now, but I won't. My temper sometimes isn't really in control. You know, that's why we also fought a lot when you were there. It's just some little things that set me off and sometimes I just can't cope in a different way. Like when I found out your mother was drinking, I started screaming and shouting. Maybe I have this from my father. He always shouted at me when I did something wrong. I should've supported Heather, I know. And that night, I don't know, I thought she wasn't drinking anymore but I guess I just saw what I always wanted to see. And I found her drinking again and I just snapped or something. My brain went off and I hit her. I regret it afterwards but I didn't know what to say, that's why I stormed off. Carol was very mad at me when I told her. And to at least tell you, Lilly, I'm really, _really_ sorry I hit Heather."

"It's not an excuse, dad." I say. I'm still very mad at him. This is stupid. I mean, the only thing I can relate to is his temper, just that I have it under control. I get mad easily but I wouldn't hit Miley or whoever. It pisses me off.

He answers: "I never said it was. I was just trying to explain."

I finish my coffee quickly and stand up. I won't ask him if I should pay the check or not, I don't care if he's mad at me about it. I have to get out of this place. It's killing me!

"I have to go ... " is the last thing I say and I storm out of the building and into my car. I start driving. I don't know where to go. I'm too mad to talk to anybody but I just need someone. I can't talk to my mom about it and I'm even a bit scared of telling Oliver and Miley. So I head off to our ditching spot to just think.

An hour later, when I cleared my head of thoughts and calming down again, I'm still sitting up there. I think about my dad. I think about him being the worst dad and the greatest idiot he could ever be. He was an asshole, he still is an asshole and I hate him. I don't know if I should give him a chance.

But what could happen when I take the chance and let him into my life again … this time maybe like a real dad. It could be cool, but what about mom? Should I tell her about this or not? She'd freak. But if I kept it a secret … well from my mother at least, it could be quite awesome, right? I always wanted a dad, especially when I was at Oliver's place and witnessed how close he and his dad sometimes were. I was jealous, but maybe, and just maybe I wouldn't have to feel like that again every time I see kids with their dads.

Will I lash out at him? What if we met once and I just decided then if I should give him another chance? Is that stupid? I want to decide on my own, though. This is my thing, right? At least for a second he was being nice. Maybe he can explain himself again. Maybe he was nervous as well. Maybe it wasn't true what he said? Fuck, dad, why do you have to be so complicated? Why does _this_ have to be so complicated?

I breathe in and out again and decide to do the next thing that pops into my mind.

I take my phone and dial a number. One I was thinking about the whole time I sat up here. I decided and put the phone to my ear. It rings once ... twice ...

_"Hello?"_

"Alright, I'll do it … I'll give it a try with you … dad." I say and sigh into the phone.

_"I'm looking forward to it, Lilly."_

I just so hope this was the right decision ...

**A/N:** Okay, so this chapter was really difficult to write. I had some help from my lovely girlfriend and I had to rewrite it a little so it wouldn't sound to unreal, and I still hope it's not too unrealistic. I'd really like feedback on this chapter, so please, please leave your thoughts!


	23. A Weekend Out

**A/N:** Hey guys … damn, it's been too long, I know, and again, I am terribly sorry for the delay on updates, my life has been quite freaky the past few months so I didn't really have time to write and upload, but here's another chapter to make it up to you guys! I really hope you enjoy it

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

A Weekend Out

I'm lying on my bed, trying to think about nothing at all. It's not working too well, but still good enough. The thoughts running through my head before confused me and now I have a headache. It is better now, though, after my brain stopped running amok on me.

I hear my phone buzzing, so I sit up, pick it up and look at the caller ID. Ah, finally ... "Hey, sweetheart!"

_"Lilly! How are you?"_

"Better than I was a few minutes ago ... there is just so much I want to tell you ... " I say and sigh afterwards. I feel tired and a bit lonely. I need Miley here holding me now, even though it's only been a few hours.

_"Should I come over?"_

I nod as if Miley could see me. "That'd be awesome, Miles ... "

_"Okay, I'll be right over, Lilly. Relax!"_

The next thing I hear is the clicking and the beeping on the other line, which tells me that the call ended. I sigh again and put the phone back onto my nightstand. Shit, I feel down even though I don't really have a reason. This is stupid. I gotta cheer up, just how? Hm ... maybe I'll just wait until Miley comes over.

I go to the bathroom and turn up the water in the sink, letting it flow until it turns cold. I then put my hands under the flowing water and wash my face. I'm probably just trying to wash off the shit that's running through my head, but frankly, it's not working well. But it feels nice anyways.

I turn off the water and again, I sigh, looking into the mirror. What am I doing? This is nonsense. Cheer up, Lilly! I take my towel and dry my face and my hands, then I hang it back onto the halter.

I slouch back to my bed and let myself fall back onto it. I drape my arm over my eyes and listen to my breath.

I'm not sure how much time passed until I heard the door opening and now someone is stroking my arm. I know that person by the way she touches me. And only that simple touch already makes me smile. I move my arm away from my eyes so I can see her.

Miley smiles at me and leans down, pressing her lips against mine in a very soft kiss. She lingers for a few seconds before she pulls away, looking at me lovingly and stroking through my hair.

"Hey you ... " she greets me, smiling even broader. I sigh in relief and sit up, hugging her for a long time before kissing her again shortly. "Hey yourself."

"Are you okay there, Lils? You look a bit defeated." Miley asks, smiling constantly, but I can make out concern in her voice. I drop my head and again - you guessed right - I sigh, answering: "I'm okay but ... I also am defeated. I'm just so glad you're here Miles. I need you right now. I feel weird."

Miley pulls my head onto her lap, continuing to stroke me and I start to relax. "Now tell me everything you want to say. I'll listen."

And so I start. I start telling her about the whole meeting. Everything we said. Everything that happened and everything that was running through my head. And Miley listened. She didn't say one word while I was talking and telling. I think she didn't even blink.

After I finished talking there was silence. But I feel so much better now, like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. My thoughts seem sorted again and I feel calm and relaxed. I still have one question in my head, even though I swore that I will make this decision on my own, I can still listen to other people's opinion, right?

"Uhm, Miles ... " she looks at me with raised eyebrows, and knowing I have her attention I continue: "Do you think I did the right thing?"

She thinks about it for a few seconds before answering: "Well ... to be honest I'm not sure because I really haven't been in a similar situation. But I think that yes, it was the right thing to do because you give him a chance to really get to know him better and you don't seem to judge him just now because of the bad things he used to do. And frankly, I would've done the same if I were you."

I smile at her and she immediately smiles back. I like that answer. To hear that someone approves of my choice definitely makes me feel better. I sit up again and kiss Miley lightly on the lips. "Thanks for listening, Miles. I feel so much better."

"Anytime, sweetheart." she replies, pecking me on the lips once again, "I'm glad I could help and that you feel better."

She lies down next to me, pulling me with her and draping an arm over my tummy, cuddling close, nibbling on my earlobe. I enjoy this sensation for a few seconds, but Miley then stops and asks: "Uhm, Lil, do you like camping?"

"Hmm ... camping is okay, I guess, why?" I ask in return. Miley answers with another question: "And do you like sailing?"

"To be honest I've never done that before. But why do you ask?" I'm curious, where is she going with that?

"Well, believe it or not, my dad said that he would go on a little camping and sailing trip with us on the weekend if we don't have any other plans. I'm not sure why he suddenly wants to do this, according to the way he ignores us when you're at our place, but hey, maybe he's loosening up a little." Miley explains. I turn my head to face her and blink two times. Seriously?

"Cool, maybe he is." I say. I was right all the time, was I? I knew he'd come around eventually! Miley asks: "So ... do you wanna go?"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that!" I reply. A weekend out of Malibu definitely won't hurt us. Going away from our life here is probably a nice change. Miley suddenly beams and catches my lips in a passionate and longish kiss. I just completely melt into it, almost complaining when she breaks contact. "Sweet." she adds and I laugh. She's so cute!

"Oh yeah, I forgot, dad said I can bring any friends because he wants to get to know them. So I was actually thinking of asking Oliver and Joanie as well." Miley tells, looking at me as if asking 'Is that okay?'.

I nod. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea. Those two probably also have a lot on their minds and maybe a little trip helps them get their minds off of those things. For example, the baby."

My girlfriend agrees: "Definitely, I was thinking the same thing! I'm glad you're okay with this. Oh, and Jackson is coming, too. Unfortunately, he ain't bringing anybody."

Poor Jackson, he doesn't really have a lot of luck with the girls he meets and likes. Even though he's such a nice guy! It's a little unfair the girls pick some more 'athletic' guys over him. But anyways, he'll definitely find somebody.

"Alright. I'll go downstairs and tell mom about it. And then we can call Oliver and Joanie and ask them. I think it'd be awesome if we could all go together." I say and get up from the bed, Miley following me. "Yeah, I think so, too!" And so we head downstairs.

Okay, so it's Friday and I'm on my way to Miley's with my stuff for the weekend. Oliver and Joanie are both coming, which I was really happy about. The fresh air'll to them good. The plan for the weekend seems to be the following, today we'll arrive at the camping grounds, where we'll spend the rest of the day, tomorrow we'll go sailing to the sea, go back to the camp and spend another night there and probably most of Sunday. So maybe we'll have time for a little walk or hike, depending on where we are, Miley didn't tell me so far, except that we're close to the ocean.

Miley told me that she and her dad used to sail a little back in Tennessee. A hobby they shared when they needed a little break from reality. Now Mister Stewart seems to use it to bond a little with his children and their friends. A great idea, if you ask me. I really hope he comes around, if not Miley and I will go through quite a hard weekend.

As I reach the house Miley, Jackson and Mister S. are already loading the stuff into their minivan. As I greet them all Miley is the first to dart into my direction and give me a short kiss, smiling from one ear to another. I can hear Miley's dad sighing in the background but I ignore it. He can't tell us what to do. As I look at him he greets me with only a nod, but at least Jackson wraps me up in a short hug.

"Wow, you guys have so much and I only have a backpack!" I notice, feeling like I should've brought more than just clothes and a lunch bag for today.

"Well," Miley starts, taking my backpack and also putting it into the car, "since you are only one person and we are three, not to mention we provide the tents and grill plus food, we should have more than you."

"But I also could've at least brought something to drink, a few bottles of soda and water? Miley, you didn't tell me about anything from that trip, only that we'll go!" I complain. It's like I've invited myself on that trip like a spoiled brat. Great, now I have a bad conscience about this trip! I sigh.

I suddenly feel a quite large hand patting my shoulder and I turn to look at Mister Stewart, looking at me quite expressionless, but saying in a nice tone: "That's alright, Lilly. Just take this trip as a gift from me to all of my daughter's friends."

I smile at him. Wow, I'm impressed! He hasn't been friendly ever since he found out Miley and I were dating. Cool! I'm really glad, he's a really cool guy ... or at least, he used to be.

"Well ... I did bring my ball for a little game of soccer." I say, more to myself than to the others. Since Joanie is allowed to do sports again I guess that at least we can play. We'll just have to find other kids who also want to play.

"That's great, I have my volleyball, basketball and a football in the car already!" Jackson tells me and smiles. Yay, I really like doing some activities when I'm out, camping or so. I grin, then I ask: "Are you in a team?"

"No, I just play for fun sometimes with the guys. Cooper and I love playing basketball when he's over, for example." he tells me, then takes the basketball out and passes it to me.

"What about you, Lilly?" he asks. I spot a hoop and smirk, dribbling the ball and then shooting … score! I get the ball and walk back to Jackson, who looks impressed, then answer: "I'm in the school soccer team, didn't Miley tell you?"

I give him the ball and he looks at me a little bit in disbelief. "Soccer, are you sure? But yeah, now that you mention it, Miley told me." Jackson replies, putting the ball back into the trunk. Miley puts her arms around my shoulders and whispers into my ear: "That was hot!" I smirk again and give her a kiss.

"Hey guys! Hey Mister Stewart!" a very familiar voice greets us. Finally! I shout: "Oliver!" and run to him, punching fists and then hugging him. "Ma boy!" I tease, but Joanie steps in: "Not quite, Truscott, he's still my boy."

"My girls … " he says, then turns to Joanie and asks: "But honey, I'm your _man_, right?" I snort. His face was priceless, his usual, stupid Ollie face, when he just doesn't get it. Joanie shakes her head and pats his shoulder, answering: "No, Big-O … you're my boy."

Miley, Jackson and I just laugh, Mister Stewart is still busy with the luggage, but we all help him after that, so we can all jump into the car and after that we're already pulling out of the driveway and to our destination.

After a three-hour drive we finally meet our destination. A little camping place at the sea. Green grass and camping tents and trailers everywhere. Really nice. We all get our stuff and walk to a free spot where we all settle down.

"Lookin' good here." Mister Stewart says and smiles, breathing in the fresh air. Everybody nods and I start looking around. I spot a beach volleyball court and close to it two basketball hoops. Awesome! Unfortunately no soccer goals but we can use something else for that.

"Alright. Why don't you guys set up your tent and then run around a bit, make yourself comfortable. I'll go check on the boat." Mister Stewart tells us and walks off. Miley and I are sharing a tent with Oliver and Joanie … maybe it's better because then we're not too tempted to do something, and I don't really want Miley's daddy to hear or catch us … making love. That'd be super-weird not to mention that it wouldn't really help him coming around.

"Lilly, don't daydream, give us a hand!" Oliver calls out to me. I look at him, Miley and Joanie with a big mess which is supposed to be the tent. I'll just go help him. Jackson is at his own building up the tent for him and Mister Stewart. Maybe I should help him, but then Oliver shouts again: "Lilly, help please!"

I give in and help them, Jackson seems to be getting along well on his own.

"Well done, you were quicker than I thought." Mister Stewart says as he comes back. He gives Jackson a hand for the last small part and the tents are finished. Miley is surprisingly good at putting those things up, she said she used to camp a lot with her family back in Tennessee.

"So … what do you all wanna do now?" Oliver asks. Everybody shrug their shoulders and I think about it for a second. I look around and spot a white ball. I ask: "You guys up for a good game of volleyball?"

"Count me in, Truscott. I'm gonna kick your butt." Joanie immediately snaps into competitive mode. It's fun because we're equally skilled and it's usually pretty even. But it's also funny to kick her butt. We've just always been rivals, so I guess it's cool.

The others also don't mind playing, so I take the ball and start walking over to the field. But I turn again and see Mister Stewart sitting in front of his tent. I walk back to him and ask: "Do … uhm, do you also want to play with us, Mister Stewart?"

He looks up at me a little surprised. "No, I think I'm not that much into those games. It's just not my thing."

"But we'd be an even number if you played along?" I ask again. I think it would be cool, maybe it'd help us bond a little? He smiles and shakes his head again: "No, Lilly, I'm afraid I really don't want to play. Just go find some other kid on the camping grounds. But thanks for the offer."

I smile and turn, catching up with the others.

As we stand in front of the court nobody's there so we can play.

"How do we team up? We're not an even number." Ollie states. I look around. "Let's just ask someone?" I suggest. But who?

"You know what, let's say Truscott and I kick your behinds for a bit and then we can ask somebody to join us? Because I still wanna play against Lilly as well." Joanie tells. Sounds good, and luckily everybody is in.

We all walk up on the court and I'll serve the ball. I stand behind the line and look at my opponents. Alright, let's go! I throw the ball into the air and smash it, not too hard and it flies over the net. I run into the field and the game begins.

After about half an hour of playing it's 20 to 12 for Joanie and me. Jackson and Miley are playing well, Ollie is just a big loser when it comes to sports.

It's Miley's turn to kick off the ball. She hits it and flies right to me, I hit it straight into the air and Joanie comes flying over me, smashing the ball hard. Score ! 21 points, we win! Yay!

"Good game, Polumbo!" I walk over to Joanie and high-five her with both hands. "Right back at you, Truscott!" she says and we grin at each other. On the other half of the court I can make out how Miley and Jackson tell Oliver that he shouldn't play like a girly girl. Poor guy, it's not his fault he's so gay sometimes.

I walk over to Miley and hug her from behind. "You played well, honey." I compliment her and kiss her cheek. She turns and smiles: "Thanks … you're quite okay as well … but still, I'm a little better than you are."

I laugh a little: "Right you are, darling, that's why you beat us, right?" She pouts: "Oh, shut up!" and then kisses me on the lips shortly.

"Hey, excuse me?" I hear a female voice from behind us. A girl stands at the court and looks at us questioningly. She's about Jackson's height, very slim but well-toned, black hair, very long and lush and very light green eyes. They must be really bright because I can make them out at a distance of a quite few feet. I think she has a really pretty face and for her figure quite a large … chest. Not that I'm staring at her boobs or anything, it's just what I noticed at the first sight as well.

As she sees that she has our attention she asks: "Need another player?" We all smile and look at each other then nod and she walks over to us: "Hi. I'm Alex."

Oliver is the first to extend his hand: "And I am the Ollie-Trolley. Oliver Smokin' Oken, the name. But you can call me-" - "Oliver!" Joanie cuts him off and smacks him. Alex giggles but shakes his hand anyways. Joanie continues: "I'm Joanie, I'm sorry about my boyfriend, he's not trained yet. I still have to teach him some manners."

Alex still smiles, she has a very open smile, which seems to invite us all to join in. "That's alright." Then I continue: "I'm Lilly, and this is my girlfriend." I introduce us, shaking her hand, and then my girlfriend's. "I'm Miley."

"Miley? That's a very interesting name. Sounds pretty cool, I like it." Alex states. Miley smiles as a thank you. The new girl also seems like a very open person who has self confidence. I like her, she seems nice and friendly. Then she turns to Jackson, who is very quiet ever since she showed up. He looks like he's on another planet, daydreaming about that Alex person, obviously. Why is he so obvious?

"And who are you?" she asks, smiling, also noticing that he seems to think she's attractive. Miley nudges her brother and he snaps back to reality really quickly: "I'm sorry! I'm Jackson … Miley's brother."

"Hi, Jackson, nice to meet you. I'm Alex." she teases a little, and smirks. Jackson blushes fiercely. "Nice to meet you, too … and … I got your name … Alex."

"Alright, people, let's team up again! I'll play with Lilly!" Oliver shouts and jumps to me, grabbing my arm. Alex says: "I wanna play with the guy who can't seem to get his eyes off of me."

Jackson blushes again, but this time he hasn't fallen onto his mouth: "Well I'm sorry, but if you look that good I can't help it!"

Miley chimes in: "His last relationship is a while back … " Now Jackson throws daggers at his sister. I laugh, along with Alex, but she says: "That's fine, my last one is also long ago. And thanks for the compliment. I'll just try to look uglier next time, okay?"

"You could wear a paper bag and still look pretty … " Jackson flirts, rather quiet but I heard it and whistle. Now it's Alex's turn to blush.

"Enough with the flirting. I'll join the new girl and Stewart's brother. Which leaves Miley with Truscott and my Ollie." Joanie yells and we all walk to our sides. I smile and whisper into Miley's ear: "Do you think there was a spark between them?"

Miley shrugs and turns to me, answering: "I don't know … Jackson was just being goofy and Alex wasn't all googely-eyes over my brother … but, who knows?"

I think it would be quite awesome. I really wish for Jackson that he finds a nice girlfriend, he deserves one.

**A/N:** Oh he does =) so, I really hope this made up a little of the long waiting time, I'll try to be (A LOT!) quicker than this time with my updating T_T please forgive me! Oh and maybe please leave some thoughts? ;D


	24. Rivals?

**A/N:** So … I guess you guys are tired of my excuses … I am very sorry, though, for the long delay, again! I think I finally made it out of my writer's block and it feels great to have another chapter finished.

At this point I'd like to make a shout-out to: **AlvinFan07**, **Vintorez** and **321JustMe123**. You guys are the best! You have read AND reviewed all of my chapters, so I want to thank you officially, you made my day every time I read your comments =) And thank you also for taking the time for a review, no matter how long it was ;)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Rivals?

The game is going really well, Alex is a fair player. I gotta admit … her, Joanie and Jackson in a team, they are rivals to us. I mean, Miley is great but Oliver … well where should I begin?

Jackson shoots the ball into Oliver's direction and it comes flying high. That's your ball, Ollie! He looks at the ball and suddenly gets frightened, protects his head with his arms and screeches like a little girl. The ball lands right beside him with a thud. Miley drops her head and sighs. I walk over to him and punch his shoulder: "What the fuck, Oliver? You're playing worse than Amber and Ashley!"

He glares at me for that statement and replies: "Well maybe it's just their kind of sport and not mine. I'm good at other … sports." I shake my head at this statement and say: "You know, Amber and Ashley are usually standing around on the field, talking about hair and nail products, but at least they don't run away from the ball … it bounces back on their heads so at least someone else can shoot the ball."

"That's unfair!" he complains but I shrug it off and go back to my spot. It's Alex's turn to serve the ball and she usually does that quite hard and precise. I go into a low position and wait for the ball. Here it comes! Like with Joanie, I shoot the ball straight up, Miley gets it and passes it to me again and I jump and smash it hard over the net. Jackson gets it but it flies out of the field. Yeah!

"Nice!" I say and look at my girlfriend lovingly. She replies with the same look and a broad smile. Now it's her turn to serve.

The game went quite well but with Oliver's lack of … balls in that game - since he always seemed really intimidated by the volleyball - we lost 18 to 21.

"That was a really neat game, you guys. And fun!" Alex says and we all gather beside the volleyball court again. I grin: "It sure was!"

Jackson asks: "Say, Alex, do you play other sports as well?"

She answers immediately: "Well yeah, not professionally, but for, you know, activities on camps or so, I'm always to have. Why? What do you got to offer me?"

"Back at our tent I have a basketball and football." Jackson tells her, I chime in, waving so they have my attention: "And I brought a soccer ball!"

"That's great! You know what, I gotta head back to my parents for lunch, but afterwards we can definitely play something else. I'm up for anything!" Alex replies and smiles broadly. We all wave her goodbye for now, Jackson adds a: "See you then!" and then we walk back to Mister S.

"Did y'all have fun?" Mister Stewart asks us and we all answer him with a yes. It was a really nice game and now I'm starving! Oliver says: "And we also met another girl who played with us!" Miley smirks and adds: "Yeah, and Jackson couldn't get his eyes off of her."

"Aw come on, Miley, she is gorgeous!" Jackson replies, defensive. Mister S. turns his head to Miley and says: "Well then I don't see the problem. And now, let's set up the grill, you guys must be starving."

I lie down in the grass after lunch and let the sun shine onto my face. Ah, that's nice. I am so stuffed, I ate way too much. But it was really delicious. Mmmh …

"Hey, gorgeous." my girlfriend says and lies down right beside me. I grin at her and reply: "Hey, beautiful." then I turn to face her, supporting myself on my right arm.

"You feelin' good?" she asks me and moves her arm to stroke my cheek. My grin turns into a warm smile and I lean down shortly to kiss her. "I feel great. You too?"

"Absolutely … " she replies, snaking her arms around my neck and pulling my face close to hers again. We lock lips very softly, moving them against one another and occasionally adding a little tongue game into it. I melt into her movements and actions, it makes me unbelievably happy. The way she strokes over my back, softly, with her hand, tingles along the way, the whole feeling is intoxicating. I caress Miley's cheek as I deepen the kiss just a little and she pulls me in a little closer, our bodies are pressed together quite tightly.

I hear a very quiet cough close to where we are lying. I raise my head because I feel watched and spot the person. It's Mister Stewart looking at us expressionless. As he realizes that I'm looking at him he suddenly looks apologetically and turns away from us. I look back down at my girlfriend just to find her looking questioningly back at me.

"I felt watched … sorry. It was your dad." I explain. Miley's eyes widen a little but I stroke her cheek again to calm her. "Don't worry, he didn't seem upset or anything."

"Really?" Miley sits up very quickly, looking in the direction where I just spotted Mister S.

"Yeah, really. That's a good sign, right?" I ask, smiling a little. Miley sighs. "I hope so."

I hug my girlfriend and kiss her cheek, then say: "Miles … stop worrying, he invited us both on this little trip, right? And I'm sure he didn't expect us not to kiss, right? Trust me, he didn't look upset, rather sorry for interrupting us kissing."

"He did?" Miley looks surprised now. I smile broadly and kiss her on the lips. "Yeah, he did!"

My girlfriend looks relieved and presses her lips to mine again, but we're soon interrupted … again: "Yo, lovedoodles! Stop smoochin' and join us for a little game of soccer! Alex is already on her way!"

"Sweet!" I say and get up before helping Miley on her feet as well.

"Alright," Alex starts, clapping her hands together once, "what do you guys want to play now?"

Joanie is the first to answer because she probably already had it planned: "I'd say soccer. A little nice game of soccer!"

I smirk. Exactly what I need right now. "I'm also for soccer." I chime in. The others just nod or shrug. Alex looks at the reactions of the others, then also shrugs and says: "Well then … let's play soccer!"

After a few minutes of warming up we discuss the teams. Oliver immediately tells: "So I would rather not put Lilly and Joanie into the same team." Alex looks at him questioningly, so Ollie explains: "Well, they're on the same school soccer-team, and they're unbeaten since three years or something like that."

"Really?" Alex smirks and asks: "Which team?" I raise an eyebrow. "Seaview Soccer-Pirates."

"No way!" the dark-haired girl exclaims. I tilt my head and she explains: "I can't believe it. You're our rivals!"

"Peak-Parrots?" Joanie asks. Alex nods and laughs. Oh god, they're really good, she's right. Still, we're the unbeaten ones … but every match was really close. Their weakness used to be the lack of stamina until the end of the game. We were usually 0:0 or 1:1 until the final ten minutes or so, when they became tired and we saved our energy or trained better or whatever, then we usually shot the winning goal.

"Wow … so this is going to be quite some match, huh?" I ask, grinning. I love playing soccer at camps and I love it even more when the opponents can play. Alex looks at me, the same fire burning in her eyes. Still looking at me she says to Oliver: "You better put Joanie and Lilly into one team. I'm gonna kick their butts easily."

"No, no, no. Peace and love, girls!" Ollie says and steps in between us. I sigh. What now. He continues: "Now … Jackson and I will pick our teams, alright?" I roll my eyes. "Fine … " I say and sigh again.

"Jackson, you first!" Ollie says, trying to be polite, when I know exactly he doesn't want Jackson to pick me. I still don't really want to be in Ollie's team, he sucks at sports. Not just volleyball …

"I pick … Alex." she stands right next to him and smiles broadly. I tilt my head a little. Is that smile because of the fact she's not in Ollie's team or because she's with Jackson? Hm …

When Jackson didn't pick me I can see Ollie doing a happy dance and he immediately shouts: "LILLY!"

I slouch beside him. Yippie … Joanie glares at Ollie for not picking her and he mouths her a sorry. Jackson picks Miley so Joanie is on our team.

"Ready for a good game, Truscott?" Joanie asks me in her typical, rival voice. She joined the last practice again. She was a little out of shape but still the same great soccer-player she used to be. I nod. "I'm ready, Polumbo."

Oliver jumps around beside us like a little girl, excited to play soccer and we both shake our heads. Joanie says: "I'm gonna be the goal keeper … watch over him." then she walks over to him and punches him in the shoulder and tells him, loudly: "That's for not picking me first, idiot!"

Ollie just ducks his head. Poor guy …

The game is going really well and it's extremely fun to play with Alex and the rest. She is an absolutely fantastic player! I sometimes could even get jealous … but only could!

Just like before, Miley and Jackson are playing just fine, though this time Jackson is better than Miley, she's not so good, but she is so much better than Ollie. I don't know what's up with him and his phobia of balls …

It's 3:4 for them right now … Alex just shot a perfect goal. Joanie is not the best goal keeper, but still better than Ollie. She's better out on the field. I snatch the ball out of Alex's possession and run toward the goal, I suddenly feel the Lilly-Run coming up in me. It's funny that I'm so into the game right now, I usually could only do that when I was playing 'real' games, I couldn't even manage to do them in practices, even when everybody else tried to make it as realistic as possible … but now … I'm all in it … I feel the adrenalin rush in my system and I run toward the goal, where Miley is standing - she's a quite good goal keeper, I wouldn't have thought - and I see Jackson coming from one side and I dodge him easily. In this time Alex catches up with me, but I can dodge her attempt as well. There! My chance to shoot, I aim and shoot and the ball lands in the goal. Yeah!

Alex and Jackson look at me a little flabbergasted. They both haven't seen my famous run before. Heck yeah that was great! I love this feeling of pure adrenalin and positive energy running through my veins. I grin broadly and even though I just scored a point for our team, Miley runs up to me and hugs me. "So cool, Lilly! I love your run!" then she whispers: "It's so sexy … "

I kiss her shortly, saying: "Thanks, sweetie." and then walk back to my spot on the field, winking at Miley. As I walk past Jackson and Alex she asks: "Lilly Truscott, right?" I turn and look at Alex, wondering why she just asked me that. She knows I'm Lilly and she knows I'm playing for the Soccer-Pirates from Seaview …

"Uh … sorry. I just wondered who you and Joanie actually were on the team. I was wondering the whole time that you two look familiar! Then you told me you're on the Pirates-team, which explained a lot for me, but you didn't tell me that you're THE Lilly Truscott, the team captain! And that was that crazy thing you always did to win the game!"

"It's called the Lilly-Run!" Miley chimes in, proudly. I smirk. "But I'm the only Lilly on the team … was it really that hard to figure?" Alex just shakes her head, but she says: "And how should I know that you're the only Lilly on the team? Not to mention there are mainly blondes on your team!"

I laugh shortly. Yeah, I don't even know why … must be a popular hair color …

"But anyways," Alex starts again: "you're run here is famous and you seem to be famous because of it, but I wouldn't flatter myself now if I were you. First, we're working on our weak-spot, our bad stamina, for this season, and we're training really hard to improve it. So you better watch out for the next game. And our girls might be afraid of your Lilly-Run, but we're even working out tactics to frustrate your run … trust me, they all wanna see the look on your face when you can't shoot that final goal of ours, and you know as much as I do, that we're so much better at the penalty kick."

Everybody goes silent. That was a really unfriendly tone, a sneering one if you ask me. I just throw daggers at her. What was this about? I thought she was a nice person? I mean, yeah, she's a rival, but only at our soccer games. "Oh and … " she adds: "they also said it would be a great price for them to see you crying after losing."

I feel a new kind of adrenalin rushing through my body. Rage … it's making me extremely angry that she just starts with all of this stupid soccer-gossip. I wouldn't mind if she just have said that we should watch our backs because they're training hard, but I really don't need to know what the other girls are thinking about me and what they're planning. Well done, Alex. It belongs to the matches, not into my free-time! Joanie comes up from behind me and says: "Okay, that's enough, Alex. Can we just at least finish the game or end it and call it a fair tie?"

I snort and walk away. Enough of this shit. I won't play a game in this rage, I might just punch somebody … I hear someone running after me and grabbing my shoulder. I turn sharply and look in my girlfriend's eyes. "Don't run away, Lilly, please."

I see everybody looking at me in the background. Great … day's messed up for me. Shit … and you know what's even messed up more? I'm craving for a cigarette right now. Thanks, dad … why'd you have to offer me one?

I can see Joanie and Jackson talking to Alex, gesturing with their hands. Then I can see Alex responding with soft gestures and then walking my way. I look at Miley, she just smiles at me and strokes my cheek, trying to comfort me. I glare at Alex who's just standing beside Miley.

"Lilly … " the black-haired girl says. "What?" I just snap back. She looks at me: "I think that came out the wrong way, I didn't intend to offend you - " I interrupt: "Well that went well."

Miley nudges me and says: "Lils, let her finish … " I obey to my girlfriend. Alex continues: "I'm sorry, Lilly. I don't know what drove me to say it, I just wanted to warn you. I'm sorry it came out in the wrong tone."

I just continue to glare at her. She still continues: "Be honest, Lilly, if I were a mean rival, just pretending to be nice, I wouldn't tell you what my team is planning to do, right? Plus, I told them that it's probably useless to plan to stop your Lilly-Run, because you dodged so many players with that run, you would dodge them again, no matter what they did, right?"

I sigh. Then look at Miley, then at Alex, then at the rest … and finally back to Alex. I drop my head and admit: "You're right … I'm sorry I reacted that way." I can see that Alex smiles her broad smile again out of the corner of my eyes, such a cheerful person, then she says, again: "And I'm sorry it came out that way."

Silence, before Alex says: "So, do you wanna finish that game? Next goal wins, alright?" she says and I look up, she's still smiling. I nod. "Alright!"

Haha, yeah! I just finished the game and we won 5:4. My still present rage made me do another Lilly-Run and we won. Now I think I can forgive Alex, winning feels great and I'm all happy again.

The rest of the day is really relaxing. We're getting to know Alex a lot better and when Miley and I once turned a little flirty and kissed she was like: "Oh my god, you two are dating? That is so cute!" she said she didn't realize it before because she thought we were really good friends or she just didn't see us kissing. And if you ask me, there seems to be a little spark between Alex and Jackson. I also see that Mister Stewart is gathering some wood for a little campfire or so, this is so gonna be awesome! Eating smores and maybe, and just maybe, Miley has her guitar with her, I didn't even really take a look in the trunk when I put my bag in it, and then she could sing. She has such an amazing voice! I didn't hear it often, yet, but it sounded amazing!

I hug Miley from the side as we all continue chatting and laughing, telling stories and having a really nice afternoon. I'm so excited about the rest of the trip!

**A/N:** So … not much to say, I guess. I really hope that writer's block stays far away from me. I have big plans for this story and I am definitely going to finish it =)


	25. Support

**A/N:** Wow, a soon update, I just surprised myself. Guess that writer's block is gone and I think the story is finally in great progress again. Oh, and, btw, don't wonder … I'm not sure what happened to my separators, I used to use three dashes, now it's three 'o's. I know it look really weird, but … I wonder how you guys could read the other chapter(s), not sure how long they're gone, but I'm sure they were there at least the first few chapters? Anyways … enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Support

We all sit in a circle in the grassland right beside the tents. Oliver, Joanie, Jackson, Alex, Miley and I. And we're talking. Talking and also getting to know each other.

"Alex … " I start, supporting myself on my hands, which are placed behind my back, arms stretched out, "tell us a little about yourself! I mean, I know that you are practically my rival in soccer and you're a good volleyball player. But what else should we know about you?"

"Alright … " the black-haired girl responds, and thinks for a short while: "where do I start? Like, brother or sister or hamster?"

I laugh shortly, "Doesn't really matter. Just more than we know. I'm curious!"

"Well … I'm in junior high year in Peak Shore High School, and as I told you before when we were playing soccer I'm in the school soccer team there. Apart from soccer, I love to do sports, all kinds of sports. Which is actually what I want to study once I finished school. And I love to hang out with my friends, who are also all into sports, so yeah. We're back to sports, hehe." she pauses for a short moment to let it sink in, but before anybody else can say anything she continues: "If you want to go back way more, well … I was born in Los Angeles and lived there 'til now and frankly I'm not planning to go away. I don't have any brothers or sisters, but parents, of course. And I'm seventeen. I think that's all there is to know about me."

Then another silence. Wow, I think that's even more than I expected, but hey, it's cool. She sounds like an … average teenager, who has a nice life, if you ask me. But sometimes, the more average a person seems, the more is behind this person's life. At least that's what I sometimes experience. "That was … a lot of information, Alex."

"What about you guys?" Alex then asks and counters, looking at Jackson first.

The blonde haired guy replies: "If I come up with that much … what's important to know about me? I'm Miley's older brother and I work at a place called Rico's in Malibu. And I'm also in junior high year in Seaview High."

"What do you do at your job?" Alex asks, curiously. Maybe they should save the small-talk for a date, haha. Jackson replies: "I sell beverages and fast food, so you can come check me - I mean the place out sometime."

Alex nods and smiles. Miley then says: "As usual, Jackson forgot a pretty important part, we're from Tennessee. And we moved here to California a few months ago."

"Oh, cool! That is awesome! And it explains the accent! Then welcome to California, you guys!" Alex immediately lights up. I think she's easily excited. But her smile is so inviting that if you look around, everybody has a smirk on their faces. I think she's also one of those people who can cheer you up easily, which I think is cool but hopefully not annoying. Alex keeps asking questions: "So where exactly are you two from?"

"We used to live on a ranch in Stewart. It's in the northwest of Tennessee, not too far from the Kentucky Lake and Clarksville." Miley's brother replies. I immediately exclaim: "Stewart? Like your last name?"

"Yeah, exactly. But it's just a funny coincident." Miley says. I nod. Really funny. The Stewarts who used to live in Stewart, hehe. Alex still smiles and now looks at the rest of us, then asks: "Then let me guess, you all lived in LA ever since you can think and you go to the same high school, of course. The typical clique who hangs out every day?"

Oliver speaks up first: "We're not a clique or a gang. We're friends. I'm really not into all the gossip and rumor thingy. But we're friends. Lilly and I have known each other ever since we can think and she's my best friend ever! And Joanie here and I, we're dating for a little over a year now."

"Yeah, we're pretty much the Malibu people here. Never been far away from home." I continue, "Miley and I are dating for a little over a month now." I smile and pull Miley closer, kissing her temple. "And I also love sports. I used to party a lot and do bad shit, but she changed me. Oh and my parents are going through a divorce." I add. Might just let her know, and Alex immediately turns sympathetic: "Aww, I'm so sorry, Lilly. That must suck."

I shake my head and smile. It's shitty but whatever, my mom is happy now without dad and _he_ seems to be starting to loosen up a bit. "It's alright. Probably better that way. My parents went through a lot of crazy crap the last few months, so it's totally fine." I can feel Miley leaning into me and supporting me on a mental basis. I feel stronger when she's around and it feels nice.

Alex now looks at Joanie, who answers: "I think there was almost everything said about me. But like Truscott here, I love sports and I paint quite a lot." Oh, right … Oliver once told me that Joanie is such an incredible artist when it comes to all kinds of drawings. I would have never thought when I first met her. We were rivals and she was a little bit of a bully, so I always had a little edgy picture of her and not that of an artist …

"And I" Miley then completes the round, "I love playing the guitar. Actually, I love making music. I write music, and sing and I play, along with my daddy."

"Seriously? Oh my god, that is so fantastic! I would so love to hear you sing and play! And what kind of music do you play? Country? Since you're from Tennessee … " Alex exclaims. She _is_ overly excited, isn't she? I still have to decide if it's annoying or not …

"I play whatever strikes my mood, doesn't necessarily have to be country music." Miley replies and laughs shortly. Hihi, my cowgirl. I decide not to say it out loud.

There is a short silence in which we all just enjoy the company of each other. Such a great feeling being away from home … with my friends and my girlfriend …

"So my dad is settin' up a campfire with smores tonight … do you wanna join us, Alex?" Jackson asks, now we all look at her, waiting for the answer she then gives us: "Absolutely! I'll just go to my parents for a short time and then come back in a while, alright?"

"Definitely, so we'll see you then, okay?" Miley's brother replies, making sure again that she will come. I smirk. He's so obvious, but it's alright. He deserves it. Alex laughs shortly and replies: "Okay, Jackson. Don't worry!"

ooo

"Thank you guys for helpin' me setting this lil' fireplace up." Mister Stewart thanks us all. Jackson was eager to see Alex again because he helped most. I think it's cute.

"Lilly, can you help me unpacking the food?" Mister S. asks me and I almost race toward him when he mentioned 'food'. Lilly and food is always a good combination. After that soccer match I am starving again!

I grab some of the food out of a cool box and hand it to Mr. Stewart. We don't just have a great campfire, but also a grill, so I unpack some meat, sausages, cheese for grilled cheese and a lot of other stuff. Last but not least marshmallows and cookies for smores as a desert, yummy! The food is already marinated, Mr. Stewart thought of everything to make this weekend perfect.

ooo

Alex just arrived at our fireplace and sits down next to Jackson. Before she does so she greets Mr. Stewart and introduces herself: "Hi, I'm Alex. Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The Pleasure is all mine, Alex. I'm Robbie Ray Stewart." he shakes her hand and smiles a warm smile. After Alex sat down he looks at Jackson, all proud of his son because he met a nice and pretty girl. If only he would have looked at Miley the same way after he found out that we were dating. This is frustrating.

I look at my girlfriend to find her staring a hole into the ground and looking disappointed. She must be thinking the same thing I was just thinking. This is so unfair. I put a hand on her back and stroke her a little bit. She leans into me, snuggling close. I smile immediately, kiss her temple and then put my whole arm around her to pull her closer.

"Alright … kids, the food is ready so dig in, enjoy!" Mr. Stewart then says and Oliver and I are the first to jump onto all the yummy food and I start eating. Jackson, for a change, stays polite and contains himself from eating like a pig. Miley just laughs and even Mr. Stewart comments: "I wonder how you two don't choke on your food, eating like this!"

Oliver just replies with his mouth full: "Well acpfually I ufually do." without thinking what he just said. We all start laughing but Oliver just continues eating. He is worse than me when it comes to food, but it's normal, he _is_ a guy after all.

ooo

Soon after we ate up all the delicious lunch we finally start putting marshmallows onto sticks and preparing the cookies for even more delicious smores. Yes, I love food and I love eating, go figure! My marshmallow, of course, is the first to catch fire, but I don't mind. I blow it out and put it between two cookies and then into my mouth. Clumsy as I am, only two-thirds of the molten mallow actually land in my mouth.

Miley looks at me and snorts, she leans close and whispers: "You're so cute, Lilly." and then she leans in, kissing the side of my mouth and licking away the rest of the marshmallow. I can't help myself, it did turn me on a little. Her delicate movements, her tongue, it's all so perfect. When she pulls back she locks eye contact with me and we both smile at each other shortly.

As we both snap back to reality Miley continues concentrating on her smore and I take a second marshmallow. I look around and see that only Mister Stewart was watching our little display of affection. He still looks at Miley, again very expressionless, but not disappointed, like he used to. He looks like he is in deep thought. Maybe he really thinks about loosening up. Or at least something alike.

ooo

Oh god, I think I have the biggest stomach-ache in the history of stomach aches. Stupid smores, I always eat so many, that I almost have to puke! God, I feel awfully bloated. Oliver is lying flat on his back, his stomach sticking out. I think he's going through a similar pain as I am right now. I also lie down on my back, closing my eyes for a second. I then suddenly feel a hand on my stomach, stroking it very, very lightly and carefully. I open my eyes and see my girlfriend smiling at me.

"So, you guys … I'll go back to my parents and my tent. I'm tired from all the soccer and volleyball today." Alex excuses herself and stands up. "Thank you for the nice fire and food. I wish you a pleasant weekend and I sure hope I'll see you around sometime!"

"Alex," Robbie Ray suddenly exclaims, "why don't you join us tomorrow on our sailing trip?"

"You should! It's so cool! Sailing … with us!" Jackson almost yells out. I snort and Miley shakes her head. She whispers into my ear: "I'm glad he's not obvious or anything … " I nod as a reply.

"Well, since Jackson leaves me no choice … I'd love to! Thank you for the invitation Mister Stewart." Alex replies, teasing Jackson but I think she does it in a very lovely manner. It's almost cute. Robbie Ray chuckles and replies: "It's always good to make new friends. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, guys!" Alex says and we all reply with a 'bye-bye' in unison. What a happy person.

There are a few moments of silence, where everybody is just smiling.

"Kids … can I have your attention shortly?" Mister Stewart's deep voice brings everybody back to reality. He sounds serious. I sit up and look at him.

He says: "Can you three leave me alone with my daughter and Lilly?"

Oliver, Joanie and Jackson get up without asking and walk away. Maybe to the water or something. What's going on?

Mister Stewart is now sitting with a round back, looking into the fire. He's wearing a very nice leather cowboy-hat which he has pulled deep into his face. I cannot make out his eyes. He seems to be thinking.

We both look at him, questioningly, waiting for what he has to say. He then looks up, directly at Miley and me. "Girls … I mean, Miles … Lilly … " he starts, but he seems nervous. I've never seen him like this. I mean, not that I have seen him that often before, but it's weird, he was always that correct guy, who just knew what to do … now he seems helpless.

"I uhm … " he starts again. We both are quiet and listening. Miley's dad continues: "I'm sorry, girls. I … " he pauses again. Is he going to say what I think he's going to say? No way! He continues again: "I didn't treat you the way a loving father should treat his daughter. And her … girlfriend … " The word 'girlfriend' was hard for him to phrase, but he did it. I smile and Miley just looks like she's absolutely flabbergasted.

"I was stupid and … your momma was right, Miley … you know that one day when Lilly also visited her at the hospital … she said she wanted to talk to me in private, and she told me something. Something I didn't think about afterwards until it hit me … she said that she was going to die soon … and that I should take good care of you, Miley, and Jackson of course, and that I should always support your decisions … I promised her to do so, but I didn't … " he pauses shortly and looks at me, than back at Miley.

"You're momma has obviously seen it, huh? That … love … between you two. Were you already … ?" he can't ask it directly, it looks like it's still paining him a lot, knowing that his daughter, 'who he raised so well', is in love with another girl. Miley answers: "No, daddy. We got together the day after momma … " she trails off as well. It's also hard for her to face the truth about her mom.

"Oh … okay … " again there's a short silence. Miley is fighting back tears again, she's thinking about her mother, I know. And I remember that day, it was a nice day, actually.

Mister Stewart continues again: "Anyways … I've been watching you two lately a little bit and … I've seen how … how happy you two are … together. And I think it is wrong for me not to support my daughter's happiness. So uhm … from now on … Lilly … Miles … you have my support, even though I cannot completely understand how this _love_ can happen."

Miley jumps up and leaps into her daddy's arms. I smile. This is amazing. Mister Stewart actually came around. I stand up and walk over to him. "Thank you, Mister Stewart." I say. He shakes his head and says: "Let me give you a hug, Lilly." and he wraps me up in quite a bear hug.

Miley and I sit back down and immediately cuddle up together. Mister Stewart smiles expressionless after that. I know he's thinking about his wife again. It pains them so much, I could never imagine what they must be going through.

"Jackson! You guys can come back now!" Mister Stewart shouts and then he looks at Miley. He gets up and as the others come back we all look at where he's going. He's heading for the car and comes back with two bags. But not just any bags. Gig bags for guitars! I knew they would take them!

Miley takes her bag and gets out her guitar, so does her dad. His is a left-handed one. He says: "We want to tell a story … a story with music. Miley and I have practiced. What she didn't know was about my little speech now. I want to make sure that I'm always there for my kids, that I'm their solid rock … that doesn't just crumble … "

After both tuned their guitars Robbie Ray started hitting the strings and Miley joined in shortly afterwards. She was the first to sing the first few lines: _"__I didn't wanna listen to what you were sayin' … I thought that I knew all I need to know … __"_

When I'm listening to Miley's voice, I'm falling into a trance-like state. Her singing just packs me and doesn't let me go, until long after she stopped. Everybody listens carefully to what they were singing. Also Robbie Ray's voice is very captivating in a way … both of them sound very good together. It fits perfectly when they sing. It's actually like they're taking us through a story both of them have been through and want to share with us.

When their voices stop and the sound of the strings fade we all clap shortly. It was a very nice song about how their relationship is built up. Trust … love … support. I knew Mister Stewart is not an asshole, and he just proved it.

"I also wrote a song about momma. I've been working on it for a few weeks or so. It's very special to me and I want to sing it out for mom. I'm sure she's listening right now … " Miley then says, with wet eyes. I stroke her back and she starts playing and then also singing. It's the song which I heard before, soon after we started dating. I didn't know she was working on it that hard. But it's very cool, very sad but yet powerful. I'm also sure her mother is listening to her baby girl right now. I feel tears stinging in my eyes, so I close them and listen to the soft but raspy sound of my girlfriend's voice.

As she ends the song there's a very long silence. She lays her guitar onto the bag and cuddles up to me again. She sighs, and after a very long time, Miley is the first to speak: "I really miss her right now … "

It hurts me to see her like that. Her mother was such a loving person, it's cruel that she had to die. I stroke her softly. I can see Miley's dad nodding and he responds: "We all do, Miles … that's why we will hold together and I'm sure all of our friends will support us as well."

I nod and smile lightly. Oliver and Joanie nod and smile at the three Stewarts. Jackson then also speaks up for a change: "She was the most special woman in my life and she will live on in my heart forever. May momma rest in peace and never be forgotten." he stands up and gets some cups, fills them with soda and hands them to us all with a smile. Jackson raises his glass and says in a firm voice: "To momma! Let's let her live in us!"

"To Susan … " Robbie Ray chimes in and after that, everybody does the same. It's a very emotional moment, but the family needs it. It's great to see them cheering themselves up and it also feels great to be part of their lives, helping them getting out of their worst days.

We all drink a sip of the soda and after a long silence, we start discussing other topics to lighten up the mood again. They are the coolest people I've ever hung out with. It's their story what makes them so special, their loss that keeps them together so tightly. I'm glad I met Miley and I'm even more glad that we're dating and that her daddy now finally accepts us. I'm happy. A little over a month ago this was hard for me to imagine.

**A/N:** Okay, hopefully I can finish the next chapter soon. I really hope the separators will stay xD okay, I'm gonna shut up now and continue writing, haha ;D


	26. Bad Weather?

**A/N:** Yeah, another chapter! I'm happy myself, not to mention proud of myself, haha ^^ enjoy it, you guys =D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Bad Weather?

We're all gathering the stuff we're taking on the boat. It's a sailing boat. Yep, it's the next day already. The evening yesterday was so nice, I almost didn't want it to end. With Mister Stewart 'tolerating' us - as he said - life was even better. Miley seemed a little looser than before. Her dad wouldn't look disappointed whenever we got a little more affectionate, he was just rather looking away.

The night was okay, sharing a tent with Ollie and Joanie wasn't too bad. Of course we didn't have sex or anything, but we definitely kissed for a long time. It was very gentle but passionate. I could daydream about kissing Miley all day, but I should focus on walking or so before I trip.

"Alright, kids, I think that's everything we need. We're gonna fish our food for tonight, how does that sound?" Robbie Ray asks and looks at us. "Sounds yummy!" I immediately reply and Oliver agrees: "Just what I wanted to say. I love it!"

"What about the rest? Our two omnivores here don't count." Mister S. teases and grins. Everybody laughs shortly. But also the rest is very happy with the idea of fishing.

Oh yeah, Alex is joining us on our trip today as well. Robbie Ray also seems to like her. She's just a very cheerful person who makes everybody feel a little … brighter or so. But she's also very friendly, so there's absolutely no problem.

"Very nice, I just hope we catch enough fish to feed Lilly and Oliver." Mister Stewart says, and this time Miley chimes in: "I hope there are enough fish in the sea for those two, daddy."

"Hey, we're not that bad … " I exclaim, but everybody seems to be raising an eyebrow at me, even Oliver himself, so I duck my head and get on the boat quietly. Pfft …

ooo

As we sail away, out in the open, Oliver suddenly asks: "Hey, did anybody check the weather?"

I look out in the sky in every direction. Just a few clouds. Oliver is such a wimp. He should seriously run around in a suit filled with foam rubber or something, then nothing could happen to him. He'd be safe like in mommy's womb.

"Of course I did, Oliver. The weather is going to be fine." Mister Stewart assures my shaggy-haired best friend. I say: "Don't worry, Ollie … Joanie'll protect you, I'm sure!"

"I won't be too sure, Truscott. But sometimes I make exceptions." she replies and kisses his cheek. Oliver just folds his arms and pouts.

ooo

After a good hour of sailing we stop somewhere. Robbie Ray has three fishing rods and he exclaims: "Alright, you guys have to arrange who will get a rod since we only have three."

"I think we can switch after a period of time? I mean, that'd be fair and we most definitely have enough time." Miley suggests. Alex agrees: "Yeah, I would've suggested the same thing. Everybody okay with that?"

"Yeah, totally." I say first, shrugging. Oliver and Joanie also nod. Mister Stewart grins and says: "Good, so that's settled. But I'll warn you, I want one fishing rod for myself later on as well."

He hands us three rods. Miley, Joanie and Alex are first. The three sit on the side of the boat and Miley is the first to cast the line. It looks like she's done that many times before. Joanie and Alex look rather questioningly, but luckily, Mister Stewart and Jackson are at hand and show them both. Oh god, I hope I can do it, I think I've never really been fishing before. Oh well, Miley hopefully will show me.

I sit right next to Miley and lay my head onto her shoulder. "It's so nice to be away from home. I really don't want to go back, especially to school." I moan, sighing shortly. Miley just nods. "Same here. It can take your mind off of so many things if you're not in the same house all the time."

"True … " I say, then there's silence between us. I breathe in deeply. My lungs fill with the nice and fresh, salty air. It feels great, being able to breathe. And then I breathe out again.

I shortly sit up and look around. It's very silent, I wonder what the others are doing. Well, Joanie and Alex, and Miley of course, seem concentrated on fishing. Okay, Miley is actually more staring out in the open. Joanie and Alex are very fixed on their rods.

Mister Stewart is lying on the deck on an inflatable mattress, Jackson is leaning against the rail, drinking water out of a bottle, and Oliver is standing at the very front, staring out at the horizon. He looks stressed. "I'll be right back, hon." I say and get up. "Sure."

I walk up to my best friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's up, buddy?" I ask sounding happy. He doesn't move. "Not much. Just thinking."

"'bout what?" I'm even more curious now. Oliver isn't always the person to think, especially when it comes to thinking before talking or doing something. He takes a long breath. "About what happened to the baby … "

I pat his back, "You alright?"

Oliver drops his head. After a short second he looks up again, smiling sadly. "You know … Joanie and I … we called her Amy."

"A girl?" I ask, a little surprised. He never told me. Aww, I imagine Ollie with a cute little girl, probably as clumsy as him … at the same time, thinking about it makes me sad. Because for now, it won't happen …

"Yeah … the doctors found out the day … the day she … " - "It's alright, Ollie. You don't have to say it." I say, knowing what he means. I smile at him, or well, at least I try to smile at him. It's a rather sad smile.

She died. She's dead. His baby girl is dead …

"It's like she was there all the time. As if she was born for years. It hurts just as much." tears form in his eyes but he's fighting them and doesn't let them fall. He takes long breaths for a short while. I just keep watching him.

But suddenly, he seems to have a change of heart and he looks at me with new found strength. "But you know what," he then says, "'What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger' right? I'm not going to ruin anybody's trip with negative thoughts or being sad. Joanie and I have grown even closer. At least we can now wait until we finished school, huh?"

I smile a small smile. I'm glad he can find a little humor in such a situation. I respond: "Yeah, you're right, Ollie. You're always right, buddy. But it's okay to be sad sometime. I mean, this is huge for you."

"Sure it is huge, Lilly, but I don't think it's the right place or time to be a wimp. I'm stronger than that. And I'm also starting to get over it, just sometimes I have a short emotional moment. I'm fine, trust me." He then smiles at me with his typical Oliver smile, warm and inviting. I shake my head … men and feelings. At least that's the Oliver I know!

"Now come on, Lil … let's go fishing." he commands, puts his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the others. I just plop down beside Miley.

She turns her head and looks at me: "Everything alright, honey?" she asks. I nod. "Yup. Everything's fine."

Miley just smiles her perfect smile as a respond and I just can't help but give her a short kiss. It feels so much better, now that her daddy accepted it! Yay!

ooo

"No, no, no, Oliver, you're doing it wrong!" Joanie complains, shaking her head. We've switched places, now it's mine, Oliver's and Jackson's turn to catch some fish. The three girls were lucky and each caught a fish.

Miley just showed me how to cast the line and I actually managed to do it at the first try and she was very proud of me. Miley whispered that I'm very skilled with my hands, probably a little too sexy because it made me blush fiercely. I really don't know how Miley does that, I never used to blush or anything, but with her it's so different.

Oliver, right now, is a hopeless case. He somehow managed it to get the line slung all over his body because the hook got stuck in his sweater. Poor guy, it's not his fault he's such a clumsy boy … or simply incompetent …

Miley sits down beside me and strokes my back with her right hand. The touch feels very nice and soothing. Her hand is warm on my back. I'm not cold, but it's a good and warm feeling. I like that. I look at her with a soft smile on my lips, Miley leans in for a short but soft kiss. After we break apart I look dreamily into her eyes. Her perfectly blue eyes. Amazing …

"What?" she asks, smiling a little shyly. I stroke her cheek with one hand and reply: "Nothing … I was just fascinated by your eyes again."

"My eyes? Why?" she sounds a little unsure, yet she knows exactly what I'm going to say. "They're perfect … did I ever tell you that the first thing I recognized about you when I first saw you, apart from your accent, were your eyes?"

"Huh? How? I can't even remember looking in your eyes or so the first time I saw you." she tells. I tilt my head to the side. "Well in chemistry. I think you did look at my face when you introduced yourself."

"Oh, right … chemistry." she says, looking down. She stretched the last word a little. I raise an eyebrow questioningly and ask: "Did we meet before chemistry?" Am I missing something here?

"Uh … well, I saw you once in the hallway. No, a few times, actually. You just … stuck out, I guess. You were … intriguing." she then confesses, blushing a little. I grin. Cool. I don't why, but I think it's cool. I stuck out. Well, I know a lot of people seem to know me in school. Bad rep, unfortunately. It's funny that I care now. I just want to make a good impression on Miley.

"Now that's interesting." I say, grinning. "But I really didn't realize you before chemistry."

"I know." Miley responds, then she smirks. "You always seemed really caught up in your own thoughts, or you were talking to Oliver. You really didn't realize anyone around you."

I want to protest, but I don't know what to say. She was right. The time before I met Miley … I don't even wanna think about it. Life was a mess.

"But you know what … that day in chemistry … your eyes were very, very intriguing for me, too." my girlfriend tells me with a small smile on her face. I look at her, questioningly. "I think I've never seen eyes like yours before … the first time I saw them … they seemed so cold but at the same time so … so friendly and kind."

I listen carefully. Her voice is so soft right now. It's so soothing and captivating. "They are ice-blue, sometimes with a little light-grey touch. Looks like they matched you better back then, huh?"

I smile sadly and nod. Yeah … cold like the blood in my veins and grey or rather colorless like my life back then. She's absolutely right.

"But now … " she continues "when I look into your eyes … they're definitely not cold or anything. They're warm … still absolutely intriguing and so kind … " Miley drifts off. I raise my eyebrows. Wow … I really wasn't expecting that … that trip to my eyes … I think I like it, when she's talking like that … when she's talking about what she's feeling … what she felt … what she thinks …

I lean in and kiss her lips gently. She smiles at me again.

"Hey Miley, could you help me with that rope shortly?" I hear another female voice from behind us, breaking the romantic silence between us. I sigh inwardly. Bad timing … It was Alex who called her. Miley got up and went over. Not sure what she needs help for, something with some rope which should be more loose or whatever.

I look back at the ocean and breathe in deeply. Ah … such a nice feeling. Man … Miley should ramble like this more often. I love listening to her when she's talking, no matter what. It's her voice which is so captivating … talking, singing …

"You two are seriously enviable." I hear a deeper voice from the rather blonde boy beside me. He snaps me out of my thoughts and I turn to face him. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Lilly. You two are the perfect couple. I'm really happy that my sis found her true love. Still, I'm a little jealous … " he says, staring into nowhere right in front of him. I decide to cheer him up: "Jackson, dude, we're all still young. Life's ahead of us. And so is love. You'll find your own someone sooner than you can think. I might just have this feeling …"

"I admire it how sure you are of that, Lilly. But it seems like you are always right with what you say, huh? At least I heard so from Miley. Then this can only mean something good for me." he replies, now smiling. I smile back. "Of course I'm always right." He smiles at me then looks back out at the ocean.

I turn my head to look at my girlfriend and I see her talking to Alex. It looks like Jackson's flame just cracked a little joke because Miley is laughing at what she was just saying. It's a very hearty laugh and I feel a little sting in my chest. I frown. I'm jealous … I feel like only I am supposed to make Miley laugh like that. I continue watching them. They're talking. I don't know what about, but I don't care. Miley seems comfortable in Alex's presence …

No, Lilly, this is stupid, Miley is allowed to have other friends. Get yourself together girl, she's talking. She wouldn't just … no, no way, stupid Lilly … she's _my_ girlfriend and nobody else's and she's allowed to have a life of her own …

I shake my head and look back out at the ocean … no more jealousy … no, no, no … stupid Lilly …

ooo

It's late afternoon, and we all were lucky to catch a fish. Really lucky. Even Oliver managed to do so. I know, I couldn't believe it myself. But with a lot of help from Joanie, he managed to pull that sucker out of the water and into the box.

Miley and Alex, on the other hand, seem to be on the same wavelength or something … they get along really well. I just hope I get over that jealousy because it's really annoying me.

I'm lying somewhere on the boat, the waves make the boat sway from side to side. It's absolutely relaxing. Miley is lying right beside me. I enjoy her close presence. She is lying on the side, one arm slung over my tummy, holding me softly. Her head is resting on my arm, with which I stroke through her hair. Her soft and lush hair. I remember when I was a little girl … I've always dreamed of hair like hers. It's wavy and by now reaching right to the middle of her back. And a perfect brunette. I think I could go on forever …

Suddenly Mister Stewart speaks up: "Kids, looks like there's a storm forming, we better head back!"

Miley and I sit up and look around. I see a few dark clouds quite far away. They don't look really threatening, but I'm not a sailor or anything. I'm sure Mister S. knows what he's talking about.

The others also get up and help to set sail. We pull and tie ropes like Mister Stewart tells us until the sail is tight and he makes sure that it's not on the wrong side … which one the right one is, I don't know, I'm really stupid when it comes to sailing or ships in general.

The boat starts moving quite quickly and the wind is picking up pace as well. I look back to the clouds. They seem to be moving quite fast in our direction. Looking back at the dark clouds is a little frightening. I feel persecuted … I hope we arrive back at the camp soon.

"Thanks for your help, kids. We should be back before the storm hits us." Robbie Ray reassures us. I sit down on the side of the boat again and watch Jackson, Miley and their daddy leading the boat in the right direction. I don't really know why I feel a little uncomfortable right now … maybe because I'm not used to sailing.

I look around. Oliver and Joanie don't seem to care a lot about storms or anything. They're just making out quite unappetizingly … yuck … and Alex seems all excited about that storm. She always seems excited about everything … sigh …

I then look at the other three because I suddenly feel watched. It's not Mister Stewart, not Jackson, but Miley. She smiles at me … she smiles at me reassuringly. Do I look that scared? I'm not! Just … not too comfortable. Just like I'm not too comfortable flying in an airplane.

The wind is still picking up quite a bit and Robbie Ray tells Miley and Jackson to sit on the boat. Now I'm a little worried. Miley sits down right next to me and the moment she does a big wave hits the boat and it's tipping over a bit. My hands dart out in reflex to catch Miley and I pull her close to me. Shut puts her arms around me and pulls me in close, kissing the top of my head and whispering: "You saved me, sweetheart!"

I look at her with raised eyebrows: "I … did … ?" I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a question or not, I just caught my girlfriend before she could fall. I hold on tight and only set up an innocent look. Miley chuckles and then kisses my lips. "Yeah, you did. And you're being extremely cute right now."

"I am?" okay, now I'm playing a little and I smirk instantly. Miley giggles and strokes my cheek lovingly. I snuggle up really closely to her and close my eyes. I still hope we'll arrive safely soon!

ooo

We all practically jump off the boat and run off to our tents. Mister Stewart is securing the boat. I feel bad for him but it's pouring with rain. After Oliver, Joanie, Alex and I reach the tent we look back. I see Miley and Jackson walking cozily towards the tent.

Jackson shouts: "Are you guys made out of sugar? It's a great late-summer rain!" and then he tags Miley and runs away from her. We watch the two goofing around for several minutes. Jackson is right, how stupid is it, hiding from rain. I have dry clothes in the tent - at least I hope that they're still dry - so where is the problem?

I'm the first to join Miley and Jackson in the rain. The drops feel cool against my skin, and the wind doesn't make it warmer, but it was such a hot day today, so I don't mind cooling off like this. We run around like little kids on the playground. My clothes are getting soaked, my hair is clutching all over the place, but I'm having a lot of fun.

A few more moments later the others also join in. Now we're really like a bunch of big children. The grass is already splashing under our feet, every time my foot touches the grass water splashes all over the place, also onto the others, and we all eventually slip and fall on our butts, which brings us to other funny ideas. Oliver and I are now sliding on the wet grass and mud, competing, who can go faster and further. My clothes are absolutely dirty now, but what are washing machines for?

This childish moment seems to last long, but too short at the same time. The rain is stopping and the sun seems to be coming out again. I look into the sky, almost blinded by the sun. It is crazy, is it? A moment the world looks like it's going to end in a few minutes, dark and enraged. And then suddenly there's light, blue sky, everything is calm and the birds are singing their songs. It's like it's a rebirth of the earth. A new day, a new beginning. I envy this moment.

Then I look at the others. All of them have a big smile on their face, I also do. It was just so cool, goofing like little children. For a moment, I forgot all of my troubles.

I then eye Miley closely. Her eyes are glistening in a new blue-green, as deep as the ocean but so bright like a beautiful meadow at midday. She looks happy. She looks free. I think I've never seen her like this before. Then she looks at me and her eyes seem to sparkle even more. My heart skips a beat when she does it. I'm a little overwhelmed and happy that I have such an effect on her.

Miley walks over to me and then pulls me into a radiant kiss. I snake my arms around her waist and pull her close. Hmm … her lips are so soft … I deepen the kiss even more and get absolutely lost in it. Her skin is hot from all the running, but still extremely silky. Her wet hair seems to smell like raspberries, but it's still so soft. I suddenly drift off …

This weekend was absolutely perfect! I can't imagine having felt this free in a long time. Not even a little rain could stop it. I also can't wait for the next delicious grill tonight. I smile at Miley after the kiss and whisper: "I love you, Miley."

She giggles shortly and nudges my nose with hers. "I love you, too, Lilly." Yep, life is definitely great right now!

**A/N:** First of all … I don't know anything about sailing, or fishing, so forgive me if I made a few majorly unrealistic mistakes xD and second … oh well, leave your thoughts ^^


	27. A Calm Evening

**A/N:** I'm a little late with the update, I'm sorry, but it wasn't too long, I hope. I got stuck playing Minecraft and L.A. Noire, haha! Damn those video-games xD Anyways, nothing to say to say, but enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

A calm evening

I open my front door and stumble into the room, practically kicking off my shoes and then getting rid of my backpack. Damn, I'm so tired! We haven't slept much last night because we were talking so much. All of us, about everything. You know, when you have one of these nice chats, where you're talking about crazy highly-intelligent stuff - or at least you think you are - and when you start philosophizing about I-don't-know-what? That's what we did. It felt great. I even slept better afterwards, just not very long.

But before that we had a really nice lunch. The fish were so perfect! Mister Stewart is a really great cook. I thought my mom was great, but he's even better.

"Mom, I'm home!" I yell. And today, we just played basketball. Very lamely because we got up early. Mister Stewart made us get up, he said we're missing a beautiful day if we stay asleep in our tent. I only remember everyone groaning. I'll just go to bed early today.

"I'm in the kitchen!" I hear my mother's voice. Miley is also at home. I really wanted her with me tonight, but her dad said he wanted her home for a change. Well, home and alone. But I think it's alright. Even though I miss my girlfriend.

I walk into the next room and see my mom cooking dinner. Mmmh, it smells delicious! She turns to me, smiles broadly and wraps me up in a big hug. "I'm glad you returned safely! How was the weekend?"

"Just awesome!" I reply, still excited. That weekend was thrilling! My mum turns back to the food. "That's great, you have to tell me everything about it, but first we'll have lunch, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm just gonna take a quick shower. Oh and, that smells delicious!" I point out to the pan, "What is it?"

"Spaghetti with meat balls." my mom replies shortly. "Oh! My favorite!" I exclaim, grinning broadly and clapping my hands together. My mom also grins and replies: "I know, Lilly, that's why I'm making it. Now go and hurry up with showering!"

"I'm already on my way up!" I say while running to my bathroom.

ooo

After mom and I had lunch I tell her every detail about our trip. She listens carefully to each word I'm saying. When I finish there's a short break. I have to say it, my mom right now is absolutely awesome! Being able to talk to her again is not just relieving, but exciting as well.

"I'm really glad Miley's father loosened up. Even I could see that it troubled her a lot." mom then speaks up. I nod in agreement. "You have no idea, mom. It was also hard for me. I mean, seeing Miley so sad and disappointed every time he looked disgusted … that was really hard to see."

"Yeah, I can imagine … but it's over now, and I'm happy for her! And you of course." my mom says and smiles at me.

"And honey, you didn't tell me before that Oliver has lost the baby. I mean, I kind of realized that Joanie was pregnant, but you never told me that they lost it." she then tells me. I raise an eyebrow. I should really start filtering out stuff when I'm talking. Did I seriously tell her about Ollie's short sad-trip on the boat? Stupid Lilly …

"Yeah, unfortunately, the doctor's couldn't locate a heartbeat, you know." I explain in a very, very short version. My mom frowns: "My god, that poor boy. And Joanie as well! Losing a baby at this young age … are they alright?"

"Yeah, they seem pretty okay by now." I respond. My mom nods. "Well," she says, "at least they're okay."

There's a short silence before she changes the subject: "Wanna watch some TV? And maybe have some hot chocolate?"

"Oh, that'd be great! Thanks, mom!" I get all excited again, like a little child. Hot chocolate instead of alcohol is quite a great change. Mum chuckles shortly and kisses the top of my head before disappearing in the kitchen.

ooo

I'm lying in my bed, I'm so tired, I almost fell asleep on the couch. But the evening was really relaxing. Mom and I kept on talking, the TV was practically just running at the side. But there's one thing I must do before finally sleeping:

_"Hey, gorgeous!"_

Oh yeah, it's Miley on the phone. I smile immediately when I hear her voice. "Hey, beautiful. Had a nice evening?" I ask her.

_"Yeah, we had a lot of unpacking to do, but now I had time to relax, play guitar and write songs."_

Songs! Awesome! I want to hear her sing again! Frankly, I would like to hear her sing all the time. Her captivating voice with the perfect lyrics … "I can't wait to hear the songs."

_"You're gonna have to wait, they're still at the very beginning. Was your evening nice as well?"_

"Yeah, I had a delicious dinner, some hot chocolate with my mom and we watched TV and talked. Really relaxing … " I reply and then yawn loudly into the speaker. I hear a cute giggle on the other end of the line.

_"You sound tired, honey. You better go to sleep."_

"I will, I just wanted to hear your voice before I fell asleep today. I miss you, you know … " I say, smiling dreamily when I picture her.

_"Aw, you're so sweet. I miss you, too! Now you sleep tight. Can't wait to see you tomorrow!"_

I grin. Yeah, if I go to sleep earlier, I'll see her sooner! "Me too!" I exclaim, and then soften my voice: "Good night, my little angle. I love you! And I'll pick you up in the morning."

_"Okay! I love you, too, Lilly! Night … "_

I hear a click and a beep and then put my phone away. Turning off the light I fall back into my pillow and close my eyes. Ah … rest …

ooo

My alarm clock rings. Oh, how I hate getting up, but I'm gonna see Miley again, so I practically jump up, into my clothes, into the bathroom, out of it again, all nice and clean, and smelling nice - hopefully, because I put on a lot of perfume - and down the stairs.

"Good morning, mother!" I say, jokingly when I make my way into the kitchen. My mom turns and raises an eyebrow at me. "Uh, right. Morning, Lilly. What happened to you? Since when are you cheerful in the morning?"

"Well, ever since I met this lovely girl named Miley." I reply, grinning from one ear to the other. She shakes her head but smiles. "I'm really happy for you, honey. She's good for you."

I stop jumping around for a second and smile. Then I hug my mom, fiercely. "Thank you, mom. Thank you so much!"

"There's nothing to thank me, honey. But you're welcome." she replies, I then let her go and she hands me a toast with ham and cheese. I take a bite. Yummy.

"Mmh. Good!" I say with a full mouth and sit down at the kitchen table. My mom shakes her head again and then walks out of the kitchen. I check the watch. Damn, it's late. I have to leave earlier because I still have to pick up Miley. I quickly eat the sandwich and then get my schoolbag.

"I gotta go, mom! I'll see you in the evening!" I shout, put on my shoes and then head out and into my car. I throw the schoolbag on the backseat and hop into the driver's seat, putting the key into the ignition and turning it. It takes unusually long for my Beetle to start up, but it works, eventually. Phew, I couldn't afford that car to break down anytime soon. I love it so much!

I only have a very short way to drive, but I just want to be the gentleman for once. I get out of the car and walk up to the front door of the Stewart's house. Before I can even knock I see the door flying open and Miley is leaping out and straight into my arms. I hug her tightly and breathe in her scent.

"Mornin'!" she greets me. I can practically feel her smile. I look at her and kiss her shortly. "Good morning, love."

"Ready for school?" she asks me. I sigh. Damn it, I almost forgot that I have to go there. I sigh and reply: "Never, but I'll get it over with."

"Of course you will. And then we can spend the whole afternoon together." she says, in a more raspy voice. Mmh, Lilly likey. I press my lips to hers in a short but demanding manner. I hope school is over soon.

We walk to my car, but I race to the passenger door and open it for my girlfriend. She takes a seat like a princess and says: "Why thank you, such a gentleman!" a little ironic, but she sure sounds surprised. I never did this before, I just felt like it today. I grin, hop into the car and give her another kiss.

ooo

Miley and I are lying in my bed. Naked. Clothes spread all over the place. I think I just had the best sex ever … who knew that one weekend of not being 'allowed' to have sex with your girlfriend can end in such an extreme high? It was simply breathtaking.

Miley is lying on her stomach, the blanket is only covering her legs up to the small of her back. She looks like an angel lying there. So sweet. So innocent. I stroke Miley's back very lightly. She smiles at the touch. "Hmmm … that feels nice, Lil … " her voice is raspy. It always is right after we made love. God, how I love it.

"When is your mom coming home?" my girlfriend suddenly asks. I shrug. "Don't know." I reply honestly. She really comes home like whenever she wants to. Sometimes she has to work late, sometimes she goes out with some colleges. I don't care too much. "Why?" I ask.

"Just curious." she replies. I nod. I love that moment. Right now. Everything seems quiet. The sun is shining through my window. I sigh quietly. Miley is smiling, I'm still stroking her bare back. She's enjoying it as much as I am.

Unfortunately, silences like this don't last very long. Especially not when you have a mobile phone. It's the source of our disruption. I take it and look at the caller ID. Just a number. Miley looks questioningly at me and I just shrug. I'll pick up, who knows. "Hello?"

_"Hey, Lilly, it's me."_

I hear his voice again. I don't know why, but until now, his voice doesn't seem to mean anything good for me. Just anger and frustration. "Oh … hi, dad."

_"How've you been?"_

He's trying to be nice, I know. Maybe he is nice. But it's still very hard for me. I'm so not sure if I should actually meet him again. "Pretty great, I guess." I reply. I really don't need a small-talk with him right now. I was in a very comfortable moment with Miley and he disrupted it.

_"Okay, I'll make this short. Do you want to meet again sometime?"_

I sigh. I look at Miley. She just smiles encouragingly. I look at her a little helpless. I wonder if she heard what he just asked. Miley nods and strokes my back. "Yeah, okay."

_"Do you have time on Wednesday or so?"_

I think about it. Soccer practices are on different days and until now I don't have anything planned. Miley gives me a thumbs up. I nod. "Yup, think so."

_"Can I come pick you up at around four?"_

"Yeah, that'd be fine." I reply. It's still really hard for me to talk to him. I have nothing to say. I can't just blabber about my life or tell him some sob story or whine about how school is annoying.

_"Okay, then. See you on Wednesday."_

I sigh. "Okay, bye." I end the call with a push on the red button. I drop my head. "He can so destroy my mood … " Miley is still rubbing my back. She says: "I think it's okay, Lilly. You should give him a chance. Don't let him spoil your mood. He's your dad after all."

"Yeah, you're probably right. If he sucks I'll just walk home, wherever we are." I lie back down next to Miley and start drawing invisible shapes on her back. I still don't know what to think about my dad. He left mom and made her feel miserable! It's hard to see past that. And I also have to tell mom that I'm meeting him.

I hear another phone buzzing, but this time it's not mine. Miley sits up and checks her phone. "Oh, it's Alex." she says. Huh? Oh right … they got each other's phone numbers. I suddenly get jealous. Why is it that I always get jealous when the name Alex is mentioned?

"Hi, Alex! How are you? … I'm great, too, thanks … oh, right, I wanted to see that movie, too! … uh, Wednesday is not -" I interrupt Miley: "No, please, go, Miles! I'll meet my dad and you'll go have fun and watch a movie! I'll be fine." My girlfriend doesn't look convinced and frowns, "But Lilly-" I interrupt again: "No buts, you go, I'll be fine! Don't worry." She mouths me a thank you and continues talking to Alex: "Alright, then. Wednesday it is! … yeah, me too. Bye! … "

I stare into nothing. What is this stupid jealousy. I'm scared that Alex could take my girl away from me. I mean, she _is_ pretty and she might be a lesbian, who knows? I should get a grip, these thoughts are stupid. Alex is straight and interested in Jackson … I hope …

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Miley asks me. I'm frowning, then I look at her. I'm not sure if I should tell her. "Nothing … I'm just jealous … that you can have fun and I'm off with my dad."

Miley sighs. "Then why did you say I should go?" I shrug. Why did I say that out loud? I don't want to make her feel bad. I stroke Miley's thigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just jealous because Alex can hang out with you and I can't."

Miley smiles. "Don't be. You know that I'm still yours." she kisses my neck softly. It makes me weak. She's got me wrapped around her finger. I close my eyes and let the sensation wash over me. Okay, okay, she wins … I'm not jealous anymore.

I then suddenly hear the front door open and shut. Perfect timing, mom … I open my eyes and Miley stops nibbling on my neck. I sigh. "We should get dressed." I say and Miley nods. We both get up and put on our clothes again. I then feel Miley's hand on my wrist. I look at her and she looks worried. "Hm?" I ask her. She moves closer and hugs me.

"I don't want to make you jealous, Lilly. If you don't want me to meet Alex I won't, but please don't look upset anymore." she whispers. I put my arms around her and sigh into her shoulder. "No, Miles. It's okay. I'm sorry. I'm sure we'll catch a movie together some other time. Maybe we will then take Alex and Jackson on a double-date, right?" I reply, smiling. Miley giggles: "Yeah, that'd be cool!"

Oh yeah … it would … it definitely would … as long as Alex keeps her fingers off of my girl. We both walk out of the room, downstairs to greet my mom. She's in the kitchen and has obviously been grocery shopping. Chances are good that mom's gonna cook again tonight, muahaha. I'm hungry.

"Hey, mom! How was work?" I greet her. She turns to me and kisses my cheek. "A little stressful, but otherwise quite okay. Hey, honey and hi, Miley! Good to see you again! How are you?" she replies and walks up to Miley, hugging her and kissing her cheek as well. I am _so_ damn glad my mom likes Miley. Maybe my dad likes her, too? I'm not sure … he was always a little homophobic. Luckily we didn't talk about my love-life, but he's probably going to ask …

"I've been really well, Mrs. T., thank you, how are you?" Miley responds politely, smiling. I walk to a cupboard and take out three glasses, I hear my mother saying: "Also quite well, Miley, thanks. With my fabulous daughter on my side I can only be well."

I blush but feel proud. I turn and look a little surprised at my mom. Wow, these were the nicest words I've ever heard from her. "Mom, what'd I do?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow. She shakes her head. "You were there for me, Lilly. When your dad wasn't, you were. You bared with me. And I love you even more for it."

She wraps me up in a hug. I almost tear up. I mean, come on, she's my mom. Should I have left her alone when she was drunk? I couldn't do that. Miley smiles a radiant smile at us and says: "Lilly's also been there for me all the time. And for Oliver. It's one of her most admirable characteristics."

"Alright, alright, I get it!" I protest, blushing fiercely. Now, they did it! "Too much love at once!" I let go of my mom, but Miley ignores me and presses a soft kiss onto my lips. I look into her deep blue eyes. I can only see love and gratitude. My mom teases: "Enjoy it while you can, honey. I'll go back to being your annoying mom, who's asking you about your grades at school, for example?"

It was a question, but I don't want to answer it right now. I'm not so sure about my grades, but they actually went up a little ever since I met Miley. We're doing a lot of homework and studying together. Less ditching and so … it all falls into place. I change the subject: "Do you want anything to drink?"

My mom snorts and replies: "Water'd be really great now, Lilly. Thanks." Miley joins in happily: "Me, too!" I take the glasses and our bottled water and start filling them up. Mom then gets almost serious again: "So, I'm cooking dinner tonight. Miley, are you going to stay? … I insist."

Miley and I both laugh and my girlfriend replies: "I don't think I have a choice but I'd have said that I'd love to!"

"Very good." my mom says in a victorious tone. I shake my head and smile, setting the glasses on the table. A thought suddenly pops into my head and I walk over to Miley, mom just excused herself to the bathroom. I ask, quietly: "Do you think I should tell her that I'm meeting my dad again?"

Miley looks at me, obviously thinking. I wrinkle my nose shortly, thinking myself. It's probably best to wait what happens on Wednesday. I mean, he can still be an asshole and I can tell my mom after that. Miley's voice snaps me out of my thoughts: "You could wait until after Wednesday and then tell her?"

I smile. "Yup, good idea. I was thinking the same thing." And then I kiss her again. Her soft lips touching mine, her tongue tracing playfully over my lips. As I part then my mother interrupts: "Stop kissing around and help me, girls, otherwise there won't be a dinner tonight!"

Miley and I shoot apart but then start laughing shortly. "Yeah, mom!" I reply and she hands me some vegetables to cut. Miley sets up the plates. This is gonna be a nice evening.

**A/N:** So … that was it … new chapters are in progress … I hope I don't get stuck playing any video-games again so … now it's your job to leave some feedback … or so xD


	28. Laughing Together

**A/N:** I know, I know … it's been way too long again … and it's also my fault again! So updating another chapter is the least I can do now, right? I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well, I'll try keeping up a better writing pace again!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Laughing together 

Wednesday came by faster than I wanted to. I wasn't really looking forward to meeting my dad. Miley said that she's going to stay at my place until he comes over and then she'll also meet up Alex soon. Great, now I'm probably angry _and_ jealous. Still not looking forward to seeing my dad.

I'm lying on my couch on my stomach, visibly annoyed. Miley is sitting right beside me. "Come on, Lilly, it's not going to be so bad. You'll see." the brunette beauty is trying to cheer me up. I eye her suspiciously, mumbling: "I hope so … "

"He's giving you a chance. You should take it, before it's too late. It's gonna be fine. Trust me." Miley says and lies her hand on top of mine. I sigh. She's right … she's so right. "You're right … I know … I'm sorry." I reply and bury my face in the couch. Miley pats my back. "It's okay, honey."

I sit back up and pull Miley close to me. I want to at least cuddle before my dad comes and picks me up. I then feel Miley's finger under my chin and she lifts my head up to look at her. I take a good look at her eyes. They are a very dark blue right now, but open for me to read. They're content. Her head moves closer to mine and I soon feel her soft lips on mine. The touch immediately soothes my mood. I lean a little into the kiss. We start moving our lips against each other passionately. No tongues involved so far. I move my hand up and stroke her cheek softly. Miley smiles into the kiss and pulls me in closer.

I hear a car pulling into our driveway and I jump up. Since mom is not going to be home until later I'm pretty sure it's my dad. Oh god, Miley's still here. They're going to meet. Should I introduce her as my girlfriend? Or a friend? Is Miley going to be angry if I don't introduce her as my girlfriend? Or is my dad going to freak? I panic. I jump up and run around to gather my stuff. It really is only a backpack. I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to face Miley again. "Lilly, relax. I'm gonna say hi to him and walk away." she reassures me. I nod and then ask honestly: "I'm unsure if I tell him about us, Miley. He's always been homophobic … "

She's gonna hate me now because I even thought about this, isn't she? I drop my head, but Miley lifts my chin up again with two fingers and forces eye contact. I don't know why it's hard for me now to look into her eyes. I'm scared of what I'm going to see … but I eventually look into them. They are a very deep shade of blue again, but they still have Miley's calm and loving touch to it. I instantly loosen up a bit. "Lilly, it's okay. I know that he is like that. You told me. I wasn't expecting anything. You can tell him whatever you want to, I'm not gonna be mad. As long as in your heart I'll stay yours." she tells me and then kisses my forehead.

I smile at her and aim for her lips. They touch shortly in a small kiss. I look into her eyes again and reply: "You'll always be in my heart, Miley. No matter what happens. I love you."

Her eye-color changes into a lighter blue as her smile reaches them. She pulls me into a hug and whispers softly: "I love you, too."

We kiss one last time and then walk to the front door. I put on my black Converse, grab my backpack and we walk out of the door. I lock it shortly and turn around. Here he is, standing right next to his dark gray Cadillac SRX. Where the heck does he have the money from? I can't remember him with a car like this.

He walks up to me and extends his hand. Good, at least I don't have to force hug him. I shake his hand and then he turns to face Miley. I introduce her: "This is Miley." my dad extends his hand again and Miley shakes it. He introduces himself: "Hi, Miley. I'm Paul Truscott."

Miley smiles politely and says: "It's nice to meet you, sir." My dad looks surprised, not even I was expecting that. She really doesn't have to be nice to my dad! Oh well, the good manners are written all over her face. Now it's my dad's turn to smile as well. "Nice to meet you, too."

Miley then turns to me and says: "I gotta go now. You two have fun. I'll call you, Lilly."

I nod and wrap Miley up in a short hug. I just couldn't let her go like this. I smile at her. "Say hi to Alex for me." I add and then she walks off. I start feeling colder the further she gets away. My dad and I then get into the car.

I buckle up and ask: "So, where are we going?" My dad smirks a little. "It's a surprise." He then pulls out of the driveway.

ooo

My dad drove somewhere across town. I'm not so sure why, but he probably doesn't want to run into mom or something. The chances are higher if we stayed close to my home, of course. We haven't talked a word the whole drive here. I really don't know what I should say or talk to him about.

He takes a last turn and then stops at a nearly empty parking lot. What, is he trying to kidnap me or rape me now? Just great …

We then get out of the car and dad opens the trunk. "What are we doing here?" I ask. Is he going to tell me now or what? Dad looks at me, smirks again and then takes out a soccer ball. My eyebrows shoot up. "Look over there!" he says and points across the parking lot. I look into the direction and spot a lawn with two goals. "Are you serious?" I ask him.

"Well, since you and I both like and play soccer I thought we might just do that." he tells me while locking his car. We walk to the field together. I decide to crack a joke to loosen myself up a little: "Don't cry when you lose, dad."

He keeps up his smirk and starts dribbling the ball and then shooting it straight into the goal. Woah … okay, maybe he's better than I thought … that was a neat shot. He looks at me and replies: "I'll try not to." very sarcastically.

ooo

I snatch the ball away from my dad and run towards the goal. He is good, I have to admit. We've been playing for quite some time now. I'm still a little better than him, but not as much as I thought. As if he's been practicing. Even though I'm refuse to admit it, it is kind of fun. I never had a buddy who I could play sports with like this. Joanie and I are only starting to be … friends or whatever, Oliver is a wimp and, well, Miley and I never talked about sports or playing sports so far. I aim and want to shoot the ball into the goal but my dad is quicker than I thought. He kicks it away before my foot makes contact with it and he runs off, shoots and scores. Damn. Not bad.

"Alright, I need a cigarette break." he says and walks over to a bench. I follow him and we sit down. I ask: "Have you been practicing secretly because you were planning on playing soccer with me sometime?"

He turns to face me and replies with a very stern look: "Of course." I believe it for just a smidge, until he smirks again. I shake my head. "Nah, come on. I guess I never lost it when it comes to soccer." he says, taking out his cigarette package and offers me one. I take it without hesitation nor thinking about it. I like that it keeps me calm when I'm around him. I won't start smoking because of it, right?

I light the nasty little drug and take a deep drag, letting it do its magic. When I breathe out again I look at my dad, who just lit his one as well and turns to me: "So, you seem to be well?"

I hate small talk, why does he do this to me? "Dad, do we really have to small talk like this?" I ask him with an annoyed tone. He just nods and replies: "Yes, Lilly. I want to get to know you better."

I sigh, taking another drag of my cigarette afterwards. Maybe he's right. At least he's been quite okay so far. Miley would say now that I shouldn't be so stubborn and give him a chance. She's right. I obey: "I _have_ been fine, indeed. I just came back from a great weekend out with my friends on Sunday."

"Sounds great. With that Miley person?" he asks, sounding a little more than just a bit curious. A little anxious to know, actually. I nod. "With her and a whole bunch of other people."

"Is she like your best friend?" he asks. I was actually waiting for that question. I feared this question and I'm even more afraid of what will happen when I confess. Should I tell him? I stare at my smoking cigarette and I twist it between my fingers. What good is it to lie to him? If he has a problem with it, then I can go home and never have to see him again, right?

"No, she's my girlfriend. We're dating." I say a little unsure but my nerves stay unusually calm. I was so nervous of telling him and now I'm not? Probably the cigarette …

"That's cool." he replies in a quite relaxed tone. My head shoots up in disbelief. "What? Since when?"

He raises an eyebrow. As if he didn't know what I'm talking about! "What are you talking about, Lilly?"

I glare at the cigarette in my hand. I try not to squash it. Does he think I'm an idiot or something? Does he really think I can't remember? My tone is angry now: "You know exactly what I'm talking about, dad! I remember you being super-disgusted when I came out to you and mom!"

He sighs a long sigh, staring into a big, invisible hole right in front of him. "I'm really sorry about that, Lilly."

Oh right, now he's sorry! "I don't get you! What made you change your mind? Why didn't you have that change of heart three years ago when _I_, your daughter, came out to _you_! I was honest with you and you don't even know how much you hurt me back then! And now? You suddenly say it's cool?" I raise my voice. I let him know I'm angry and confused. I should stop seeing him. It's a waste of energy.

"Well … I haven't met Carol back then." he replies. I look at him expressionlessly. "What is up with that Carol person? Is she a saint? Did she enlighten you and your negative thoughts about mom and me?"

Dad chuckles very shortly and replies: "Yes, she is. For me, at least. I was stubborn and narrow-minded back then. She opened me up, she showed me a world I would've never thought I could see, Lilly. My life with Heather and you was okay, just … this life with Carol is full of love and understanding and … well … I know now how to love you, Lilly, and I want to love you like a dad should love his daughter. And if you're in love with another woman, that's alright. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. And I'll support you. I've grown up, too, you know."

"This is insane." I whisper, taking one last drag of my cigarette, before I throw it on the ground in front of me and step on it to put it out. "Why?" he asks, a little pissed. I look at him. He also looks pissed. His icy blue eyes now also show a shade of grey. "Why is this so hard for you to believe, Lilly? Okay, I was definitely the worst dad ever, but I've changed! And I want to show you! But this can only work if you stop being so stubborn! Let's just try to forget about what happened in the past and start over. I'm curious about what happened in all of those years that I missed. All of the soccer games, all of the friends, all of the girlfriends, and school!"

I drop my head. Why the fuck does he have to be so right? It's like I'm the only person in the world who can't see that he's actually being nice … on the other hand, all of the other people didn't see my mom when she was a mess … sleeping on the couch next to an empty bottle of wine … or hanging over the toilet, screaming in pain when she was throwing up … I'm in the middle of a fucked up mess that my parents created. And I was no help either …

I look up at my dad. His eyes turned friendly again. He even smiles a very small smile at me. it looks a little encouraging. Why am I being an asshole like that? I should loosen up … just like him …

"I'm sorry, dad." my voice is small and a little croaky. He pats my back. "It's okay, Lilly. I understand. It's not your fault that you inherited my stubbornness." He chuckles a little, and I join in. It already feels better.

"So, do you love that Miley?" he suddenly changes the subject, as if the past few minutes never happened. I shortly raise my eyebrows in surprise, but I reply anyways: "Yeah, I do, actually."

"And I assume she loves you back?" he asks, a little ironic. I smile when I think about her. "Yeah, she does." I reply, maybe a little dreamily. I can see my dad smiling. "That's good. And she seems like a good girl. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, dad … she's the best thing that ever happened to me." I respond, still thinking about my girlfriend. The lush hair, full lips and sweet scent. All mine. I smile. He continues asking: "And how long have you two been dating now?"

"A little over a month." I say. He nods. "But you also once told us about another girl, that you were dating, right? Who was that?"

Wrong question, dad. You don't ask me about her. But I answer: "Rachel. My ex."

"I figured she's your ex. You don't have to talk about her if you don't want to." he says and takes out another cigarette. I decide to take another one as well, then I could probably talk about her. I light it and take a drag. Rachel … this is going to be hard. Maybe it's better if I get it out? Hm … probably … I reply: "You know what, I owe you that much, so I'll tell you a little about her."

"You don't owe me anything, Lilly, but go ahead." he encourages me to talk, visibly happy that I'm talking to him. I sigh. Alright, here we go: "Rachel was this … you know … this beautiful girl, everybody was talking about. She was only mildly popular because she was a bit of a bitch. She was just mean, but I always thought she was fascinating."

I think about her shortly. What she looked like, what I thought was so great about her. I continue: "A very pretty brunette with the perfect hazel eyes, super-tan body … you get the picture. Well … we first talked at a home party of some sort, we made out … I didn't let her go that easily after that night, but lucky for me, she seemed interested, and it only took another two days until we were officially dating and well … "

I pause. Now it's getting harder. It's the things she did to me. In the end, no matter how small they were, it hurt. It fucking hurt. But I don't stop for long, only for another drag of my cigarette. "At first it was all happy and great and she was my first real relationship … Oliver, my best friend, you should remember him by the way" I see dad nodding out of the corner of my eyes, "he always told me that I should watch my back, that he's heard bad rumors about Rachel and so on. I never believed him, I always said that it were _just_ rumors and whatever."

Just rumors … I should've seen it myself. I didn't want to see it. I was so fucking convinced that she was different in a relationship! I shake my head and sigh. "I think the whole relationship went well for three months, then I started to get suspicious about her. I did everything possible for her, but she never gave anything back. She enjoyed all the attention she got from me … and everything else. I showed up at all of her cheerleading practices, no matter how hard I had to study for tests, and I always came by when she called."

She was my princess … I treated her like a princess … a queen … just, the way I thought a girlfriend should be treated. Yeah … and at times, I also wanted to be her princess … I was her jester. Her fucking toy! I take another deep drag before continuing, in a hurt tone: "Rachel, on the other hand, she never showed up at any of my soccer practices. She was actually never there for me, she was hardly at my place, she always hung out with her friends. At first I thought that maybe she'll realize it herself. After about nine months, it continued getting worse. I bared for another three months with her, but you couldn't have called it a relationship anymore. I finally broke up with her when I … "

The scene that happened just replays in my head. I can't continue just like that. I still had hopes that she might become a nice person for a change and love me for who I am, and then … I saw this … yuck-fest! Right after soccer practice! When I saw it I thought my heart was smashed and slammed and shattered in millions of pieces, nobody could ever put it back together … but I still continue, I started, and now I have to end it: "I found her having sex with the captain of the football team … in the girl's locker room. It was the grossest thing ever. Anyways … this was Rachel … now I have Miley … and Miley is a saint for me."

Yep … that's it … that's what happened. Being with Rachel really didn't help cheering me up. She made everything worse. I tear up just by thinking about what happened. She's the biggest bitch I've ever met … and of course _I_ dated her.

"Wow … you could never pay me enough money to go back to my teenage years again … that really sucks, Lilly. Now I'm even happier for you. I'm glad Miley is nice to you." my dad responds in a soft tone. He can see that I'm at the verge of breaking down. I'm holding it back … hard. She doesn't deserve that I cry over her … I take a deep breath and then a deep drag of the cigarette. Good … all better.

"Oh right, and I remember Oliver." my dad then says, obviously changing the subject. We look at each other. My dad smiles and continues: "Yeah, he has dark hair, right? This … modern cut … you two always stuck together."

"Yeah, exactly." I say and nod. Without that clumsy figure of a best friend I would've probably killed myself at the time when I dated Rachel. He was the one who was always there for me, who I called in the middle of the night and cried until the sun went up, who ditched school with me, even though his parents were actually totally against that. He never cared. He made me feel important.

"You know I always thought you and Oliver dated." my dad tells me and chuckles. I grin and shake my head, exclaiming: "God, no! He's like my brother, that'd be too weird."

We laugh together again, shortly. Then there's a silence. I shortly look around and then spot dad's car again. "Dad, what did you do to afford this car? Rob a bank? Sell drugs?" I ask him. Now it's my dad's turn to shake his head. He pats my head and looks at me, responding: "Lilly, are these really the only two reasons for you when it comes to me buying a new car?" he chuckles again, "I got a promotion. And Carol also paid a third of it."

"Ah, I see. That's cool." I say, then I take a last drag of my cigarette an put it out on the ground. These things are shit, why am I doing this? Dad seems alright so far. Never mind. I won't start smoking …

"How are you doing in school, Lilly?" another change of subject. I lean back on the bench, looking toward the sky, then I reply: "Better, actually. I mean … " I drift off … it was when dad and mom started fighting … that's when my grades dropped … I don't know, should I tell him? Oh well … "I, uh … w-well I … m-my grades dropped when you and mom started fighting … I mean, I kinda managed to pull myself through until now … after I met Miley I started to get better in school. I … hm … I ditched less - well actually I have only ditched once since I met her - and we started doing our homework together. So uhm … it's better now, yeah."

I feel a little nervous again. I'm still scared of my dad, I mean he _did_ hit my mom. What if he gets angry at me and also hits me? I watch him carefully. He just seems to nod and answer: "Alright. That's good, I guess."

I decide to ask carefully: "You're not mad … ?" Again, I look at him, looking for any angry sign. Nothing. He just looks at me, "I can't blame you … I'm sorry, Lilly, about all the fighting. I didn't realize it had such a huge impact on you. So … no, I'm not mad."

It feels like a stone … no, scratch that, a huge rock, the size of a skyscraper, was lifted off of my shoulders … my dad is sorry, my dad is being nice, my dad is interested in what I am doing … in my whole life. I smile at him. A true smile. A wide smile … a warm smile.

"Wanna play some more?" he asks. I jump up immediately. "Prepare to be run over by the Lully-Run!" I exclaim and run out to the field.

ooo

My dad stops close to our house. I told him that mom might be at home. I still have to tell her. I'm really not sure how she is going to react. I'm scared that she might start drinking again. But I can't keep this a secret from her. It'd be absolutely unfair towards her.

"Lilly, I would really want you to meet Carol sometime soon. Are you up for that?" he asks. I shrug. "Yeah, why not." Might not be the worst thing to know who the heck turned him into the nice guy he seems to be now … well … it might …

"Awesome. Have you got time on Friday?" he asks. I think … Friday … Friday … oh, "Friday I have soccer practice. How about Saturday?"

"Fine, Saturday it is. You bring Miley. I insist." he says and smirks. I nod. "I will." She can hopefully keep me calm if I get angry at his new girlfriend, who took my dad away from my mom, by the way. Okay, maybe it's not the best idea to meet this woman …

"Good! Wanna have lunch with us? You pick the restaurant?" he offers. Is he being a little … too nice now? I'm not sure. "Yeah, sure, that's fine. I'll call you."

"Sure thing, Lilly. Have a nice evening. Oh, and I'll have a surprise for you. Don't ask, I won't tell!" he says as I get out of the car. I look back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Uh … okay. And thanks, you, too!" I answer and walk away. He drives off. What surprise? What surprise could he have? I just won't worry about it or otherwise it's gonna eat me alive, just think about something different, Lilly …

I wonder how Miley is … oh right … she's with Alex, I almost forgot. Damn that Alex … if she takes away Miley from me I'm gonna … oh, Miley is not like that! I trust her, I'm not jealous! Get yourself together, Lilly …

I take out my phone and look at the display. No call, but a text message. From Miley. Sent a few minutes ago, actually. It shows only a small symbol, that makes me smile. She's thinking about me.

A heart.

I walk up to the front door, still smiling. I'm worrying too much.

**A/N:** Again, not too easy to write this chapter because of the whole father-daughter-thing, hope it still sounds realistic! Just tell me if it was okay or not, don't be shy with criticism ;)


	29. About Friendship and Exes

**A/N:** Okay … this update should've been so much earlier! I know, I know … this is so bad! I had a damn writer's block again, but now finally! it's been half a year, and here is another chapter, I'm really trying to make more frequent updates, bare with me, I hope that people are still reading this … I won't blame you if you're not!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

About Friendship and Exes

I put my key into the lock of our front door. I wonder if mom is at home. She'd probably ask me where I've been and I'd really hate lying to her. But I also don't really want to know her reaction when she finds out that I'm seeing dad. He hurt her and I betray her. On the other hand, he's my dad and has a right to see me … right? Man, I'm so confused … I turn the key to find the door completely locked. Good sign!

I open the door and take a careful look inside. I act as if nothing ever happened: "I'm home!" just in case mom's here. I'll just avoid telling her where I've been so far. No answer. Everything seems quiet. Nobody's at home, such a luck. I should've known earlier, because mom's car isn't there as well. Great, now I'm being paranoid …

*ring* I almost have a heart attack when my cell phone rings! Fuck! That really scared the crap out of me! I take my phone to look who's calling. I smile and pick up: "Hey, Ollie! What's up, buddy?"

"_What's up with you, stranger?"_

I kick off my shoes. I'm an ass, I hardly talked to Oliver last week, I was stressed out because of meeting my dad. I reply while putting down my bag: "I'm really sorry, Oliver. My week until now was just a little … crazy."

"_Isn't it always?"_

"It sure is." I plop down on the couch and sigh loudly. "How are you?"

"_I gotta be honest, Lil. I miss my best friend."_

Now I feel stupid. I haven't spent real quality time with Oliver in over a month. Joanie's baby, Miley … everything seems to be moving on so quickly. I suddenly have a strange feeling in my tummy, and I out it: "I miss you, too, buddy. Let's hang out!"

"_What, like … right now?"_

He sounds surprised, but I grin. "Of course!" I exclaim. "Spontaneous is always great! And I'm sure you had something in mind when you called me! Didn't ya?" I tease him a little and I hear a short laugh through the speaker.

"_Alright. Where to?"_

I'm really excited to meet him again alone. We used to talk so much, and in the past few weeks there was hardly any talking. I smile broadly as I think about a place we could go …

ooo

I park my car into an empty spot and turn off the engine. Oliver and I decided to meet up at a café somewhere in the city. It's close to the cinema Miley and Alex are right now, so maybe I can pick her up later. I jump out of the car, lock it and already spot my dark-haired best friend in front of the café. I grin and give him a bear hug.

"It's great to see you, Lilly." he greets me, hugging me back fiercely, as if we haven't seen each other in years. I reply: "Good to see you, too, Ollie." while letting go of him again. We walk into the café together and find a place to sit.

The waitress then immediately asks us: "What can I get you to drink?"

Oliver waits patiently for me to order first. Ts, gentleman … I think shortly about what I want and then decide, with a childish smile plastered all over my face: "I'd like an applejuice, please!"

The waitress nods and turns to Ollie: "And for me a coke." he orders with a similar goofy face as mine. The young woman then walks off. I laugh shortly. "What are we, like … ten?"

"So? Who cares! Can't teenagers order some juices and soda?" Oliver replies, but joins in laughing with me.

As we settle down I turn serious again. "So, Ollie … how've you really been?" I ask him, setting up my concerned best-friend-face. I smile at him encouragingly.

"Apart from that awesome weekend we had … quite awesome, I guess, hehe." he tells me, leaning back, letting his hands drop onto his thighs. He tilts his head and then asks me: "And your week was crazy so far, huh?"

I just nod and add a short: "Yeah … " and I see Oliver shaking his head. "Lil … it's only Wednesday evening! What the heck were you up to?"

"God … so much to tell, buddy … so much to tell." I sigh as a reply when I think about my dad, who I just met up with earlier. My best friend encourages me to talk: "Well then … shoot! Tell me everything!"

I sigh and look at the table. Okay … why the fuck do I want a cigarette right now? Bad Lilly … not a good habit! Stop that shit, I can talk without that stupid little thing in my hand, now can I? I look at my friend to find a pair of comforting eyes. Right, that's why I _can_ talk without that shit.

"Well … I've been spending some great amount of time with Miley, as you probably know." I see him nodding and then folding his hands in front of his chest. I continue: "And of course I've spent a lot of time with my mom as well, now that she's clean -"

"Which is awesome! I _so_ told you!" Oliver interrupts me with a big smile. I roll my eyes and give in: "Yes, you did … "

After a short silence I decide to tell him: "And … believe it or not … I've hung out with my dad … twice … "

Oliver's eyes widen in shock and he leans a little closer towards me, almost shouting: "Shut up!"

"Excuse me … " the waitress interferes shortly to bring us our drinks. "Anything to eat as well?"

Again I'm the first: "Just a classic hot dog." I say and she notes it onto her little pad, and Oliver orders the club sandwich. Then she walks away again.

"Jesus, Lilly, since when are you hanging out with your dad? I thought you hate him! Wait … didn't he, like, hit your mom? Oh my god, you gotta tell me everything!" again he was very loud and I hope nobody in the café is listening to our conversation. This really isn't anybody's business, but mine.

"Well, I _hated_ him … and yes he did hit her … uh … man … where do I begin? … okay … " I start telling Oliver that my dad showed up at my soccer game and when he tried to talk to me there … I tell him about our first meeting and what's up with him and his girlfriend, Carol, his 'big love' … I tell him about our meet-up today, that we played soccer, what he thinks about my relationship with Miley, and I also tell him that I told my dad about Rachel. I think I didn't leave out a single detail. Well, in fact, I did leave out something. I didn't mention that I smoked some cigarettes. Oliver'd kill me.

After I finished talking there's a short silence. Our lunch even came while I was talking.

"Damn, Lilly, that's some crazy … well … freakin' shit! And you haven't told me earlier … " he complains, and I sigh again. I drop my head in defeat, saying: "I'm really, really sorry, Oliver. I was just confused and everything."

"Well … " he says and I look back up at an expressionless face. After a few moments, though, he starts smiling again. His cozy and supportive smile, "It's okay, Lilly. I understand that this was all quite much in the past few weeks, so I forgive you. Plus, you did tell me now, so I can't complain."

I return his smile. Aw, I wanna hug him, he's such a teddy bear. "You're the best, Ollie."

"Huh, tell me something I don't know!" he jokes while making quite a gay movement with his hands. We share a quick laugh and then continue to eat our dinner.

ooo

After we finished eating we paid the check and walked out of the café. I told him that Miley and Alex are at the cinema close to us and he even suggested to go there to pick them up. It's pretty warm outside today. I'm wearing a sweatshirt, but I have the sleeves pulled up right above my elbows. There's a very slight breeze and it tastes all salty but still feels quite fresh from the sea.

As we walk side by side, Oliver is the first to break the silence: "So, how are things going with Miley?"

Only the mentioning of her name makes me smile. Before I can even answer Oliver asks: "Wow … _that_ great, huh?"

I sigh almost dreamily and reply: "Yep … _that_ great."

My best friend chuckles shortly, laying a hand on my shoulder. "I'm really happy for you guys, Lil. You know, after you broke up with Rachel … I thought I'd never see my happy Lilly again. Miley is definitely one of the best things that's ever happened to you."

"No, she _is_ the best thing that's ever happened to me, buddy." I respond, smiling happily again. Then I think about who she's with right now and my stomach cramps … "Though … " I start, Oliver immediately gives me a concerned look, "I gotta be honest … I'm a little jealous … because of Alex."

"Why? Is Alex a lesbian as well?" he asks, seeming a little confused. I shrug: "I don't know. Miley just seemed really excited about meeting her and everything. I really don't know if Alex is gay … I mean, maybe … "

Oliver now fully puts his arm around my shoulder. He says: "And even if Alex were gay and tried to make a move on your girlfriend or so … do you really think Miley would just betray you like that?"

I shake my head. "God, no … I'm probably just a little paranoid … it's not like I've never been cheated on, Ollie."

"I know, I know … but I'm sure they're just friends, Lil. And if anything were to go wrong, you still know where to find me, right? I'll always be there for you." he tries to cheer me up and I smile. He really is the best buddy anyone could ever wish for. I really love him to death. We were like siblings right from the start, since we both don't have brothers or sisters. And I wouldn't and couldn't lose him, ever.

"Thank you so much, Oliver … and now stop making me cry and tell me how things are with you and Joanie!" I command and nudge him. Stupid, sentimental Lilly. I look at my best friend to see him smiling as well. "Great." he replies, then looks at me. "Seriously, everything is fine. I mean, the thing with the baby was a huge shock for both of us … but we talked quite a lot about it, actually, we cheered each other up, and it's starting to get easier."

"That's good to hear, buddy." I say and keep my smile, encouraging him. He nods and continues: "Yeah, it's so much easier. I owe you and Miley quite something for not letting myself give up on Joanie and me."

Now it's my turn to pat his shoulder. "It was the least we could do, Ollie … being there for you. I know you would've done the same if it were the other way round. In fact … you already did."

There's a short silence, but then Oliver says: "My god, we sound like we're eighty and about to die soon. These are teenager things, they happen!"

We share a laugh again before I get serious: "Well, almost. Losing a baby is less common than a broken heart, don't you think?"

Oliver's head sinks at that statement. Dang, Lilly, shut up for once about that baby! I pull him in a sideways hug. "I'm so sorry, buddy." He lets out a long sigh, then looks at me shortly. "It's alright, I'm stronger now. Just … the phrase 'losing … a baby' … still hurts like hell."

"I'm really sorry about that." I apologize again. Me and my big mouth. I think Ollie is used to it by now … well, I hope he is. He shakes his head: "It's okay, Lilly … plus, you're right … it is less common."

We arrive in front of the cinema and sit down at a bench at the other side of the street. I can keep a good eye on the entrance from here and as soon as I spot Miley, I will run over and-

"Well would you look at that!" I look up and stare into a pair of offensively beautiful hazel eyes. My pupils contract at the sight and a rage crawls up from deep inside of me. "The two of you still stick together like … fungi."

"Wow, Rachel … that doesn't make sense at all." Oliver speaks up. He sounds and looks annoyed by her. Rachel … my ex … my blood starts boiling. I glare at her. She's even grown more beautiful ever since we broke up. I tried to avoid her at any cost, but unfortunately my Rachel-Radar was off tonight. She's like this perfect Barbie doll with her hot pants, pink top and matching pink purse. Gross … oh, and I forgot her two wannabees at each side of her.

"What are you two doing out here? Not enough money for a movie?" she asks in a mocking tone, popping her gum. Did I mention she's a snobby bitch? Her parents are like … super-rich or something. She drives a black Mercedes-Benz, has a huge villa in the Hollywood Hills, owns like five dogs and ten horses and practically sleeps on money.

Oliver defends us immediately: "No, actually we're here to pick up Lilly's girlfriend."

I sigh … well done, doughnut. Now she's gonna pick on Miley, too. I step on his foot to make him clear to be careful about what he says. He shoots me a look after I did that, informing me that it hurt.

"Right, I've heard rumors in school that Lilly is dating a southern nerd." Rachel replies with a mean smirk and the same mocking tone. "I mean, I knew that you'd sink low, Lilly … but seriously, that's even under _your_ league."

Her two wannabees giggle until Rachel tells them to shut up. I stand up quickly, clenching my fist. I want to punch her so hard that her pretty face is messed up and she'll run home crying! … I contain my anger. "You have absolutely no right to judge her, Rachel." I hiss through gritted teeth. "Just stay the fuck out of my life. Go hump your twenty boyfriends and then leave them again."

This was a lame argument … I can do better than this! Rachel just chuckles shortly and says: "My god, Lilly, you're still not over that? It's been like a year! Get a life, girl."

Again it's Oliver's turn to defend me: "_You_ better get a life, Rachel, and stop playing with other people's hearts! And you know what," he gets up now, too, "if you ever try to get into Lilly's life again, I'll throw you out of it again, personally! Now get lost!"

"Lilly?" I then hear another familiar voice. A concerned one, a confused one, a deep one with a thick accent. I turn to face my girlfriend and my heart skips a beat when I spot her. I immediately feel strong again. "What is going on?" she asks me.

"Wow, she's prettier than I thought. Good job, Lilly." I hear Rachel saying. I turn to face her and she's eying Miley curiously. I take another step towards my ex and threaten her: "If you get into our way, Rachel, I'll be sure to make your life living hell. Now … get … lost!"

Rachel takes a step back, this time my threat worked. I must have the same icy-blue and cold eyes now like my dad when he was mad. The hazel-eyed brunette stares at me again for a moment, but then says: "No need to get rude, Lilly." She then turns to her kinfolk, snips twice with her fingers and demands: "Come on, girls, let's go!"

After she vanished I turn back to my love, she still looks worried but I walk over her and we hug shortly but lovingly. "Was that … ?" she asks me and I nod, finishing for her: "Rachel, my ex."

"Are you okay, Lilly? I saw you and Oliver arguing with the girls, I was worried!" she tells me. I shake my head and kiss her lightly. "Everything is fine, Miley. I scared that bitch off. I hope she took a hint."

Miley kisses me again and then smiles her beautiful smile. We then let go of each other and I see Alex, who looks skeptically into the direction where Rachel just went. The black-haired girl just says: "Wow … what a scary witch. I wouldn't want to meet her out in the streets in the middle of the night." She then shakes her head and turns to me. Tilting her head, she asks: "And you dated that bitch?"

I drop my head and let out a short chuckle. "Unfortunately, I did … hey, Alex." I greet her and we hug very shortly. At the moment, I don't feel jealous, just glad that Miley's here with me. "Hey, Lilly. And hey, Oliver!"

After we all said hi Miley asks: "What are you guys doing here? I thought you met … uhm … " I smile and finish the sentence for her, again: "My dad. I did, but I still had time and well, Ollie and I decided to meet up! And then we had the idea to pick you up! … Surprise?"

Miley then pulls me into another hug. "You're so cute, Lilly! It is definitely a nice surprise!" We share another tender kiss, until Oliver complains: "Alright, enough love-doodling, you guys! Let's walk to the car!"

After about a minute of walking and talking with my friends and my girlfriend I loosen up again, all the anger about Rachel has vanished. I'm glad that I have Oliver and Miley to support me like this. And luckily I'm not jealous, but probably only because I'm with Miley now and I have my arm securely around her waist. I hope that it won't come back again. Oliver is right, Miley is right. She wouldn't just betray me that way.

I squeeze my girlfriends side and turn to her to kiss her lips shortly. Hmm … all better.

**A/N:** We finally meet Lilly's ex, hurray! You think she's going to be trouble? Again, bare with me! Oh … and maybe leave a few thoughts? =)


	30. Talented

**A/N:** Yeah, a speedy update =D this time I really hope I can keep up the updates a little faster! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and it's also a little longer than the others, so I also hope you enjoy reading this one, guys =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Talented 

It's Thursday, late afternoon. I'm glad that I didn't run into Rachel today in school, as she obviously goes there as well. For a month and a half I actually forgot that she was there. That was until yesterday. I sigh quietly. I don't want the others to notice I'm thinking about that messed up, scary bitch again. Miley, Oliver, Joanie and I are at Miley's place right now, in her room to be exact. We wanted to hang out today and we decided to head to Miley's. Oliver and Joanie haven't actually been in here before, since we only met up in front of the house once last weekend to drive out of town, and they seem to fancy this place. Just like I did when I first walked into the house. It's just so warm and welcoming, and it kinda always smells like cookies … today it was brownies, actually. Her dad baked some when he found out we were going to head over. They were delicious, by the way!

Anyways, there is also another reason why we're hanging out together. For whatever reason - I guess it was charity - the teachers and headmaster of our school decided to do a spontaneous school-talent-contest. And when I say spontaneous I mean as in tomorrow! Okay, they told us about this contest about a week ago, but we all kind of forgot about it or didn't take it seriously. Most of the students complained that it was way too early and they needed time to practice for whatever they're going to do. But it is basically already set up and the teachers said they're not going to wait any longer. I don't mind, to tell the truth, since I won't sign up for anything. Oliver, on the other hand, is all keen for it! We have to sign up tomorrow at school, and Oliver said he'll eat fifty hot dogs in ten minutes. Of course he came up with that basically last minute.

"You will never, ever eat fifty hot dogs in ten minutes, Ollie! That has world record potential, and you will probably puke after five or so!" I tease him, chuckling at his confidence. He only crosses his arms in defense. "No, I won't! I will eat them! You know how much I can eat when I want to!"

It's another turn for me, Miley and Joanie to laugh at him. His girlfriend now tells him: "Honey, you could never, ever down fifty hot dogs in ten minutes! You might have a big appetite, but not a fast one."

I grin broadly and suggest: "You should rather just say you can eat fifty hot dogs without puking! If you manage that, then you can work on your speed for the next eating contest!" He just snorts at me, shaking his head, protesting: "Fifty in ten minutes, Lil!"

Miley then suddenly chimes in with a question: "Oliver, where will you get fifty hot dogs from for tomorrow?" Then suddenly there's a silence. A silence where I swear I can hear Oliver's brain working while he is thinking. We all look at him now expectantly. I then see a light bulb going off in his head and he informs us: "What about Rico's? I could ask your brother, Miley! I bet he could give me fifty hot dogs!"

"Yeah, right, as if that little place down there could afford giving away fifty hot dogs. Unless you buy them!" I say. Okay, now I want to see Oliver buying fifty hot dogs! The prices at the beach are incredibly high, not to mention the look on everybody's faces when Ollie orders fifty hot dogs!

"I can't just buy fifty hot dogs, Lilly! That's way too expensive! Unless you guys lend me the money?" he sets up a puppy face, but I just laugh it off. "Dream on, buddy! Just drop it and find another talent of yours … " I tell him. Nobody wants to see a guy eating fifty hot dogs. And knowing the school, they'd rather see him puke his guts out after he downed them.

"I will eat those hot dogs, and I'll find them!" is his final statement to this topic. Joanie and Miley just shake their heads and I shrug. Whatever you say, buddy, whatever you say … still, Joanie agrees with him to make him feel better: "I'm sure you will, Big-O." and places a kiss on his cheek.

I look around the room and then suddenly spot Miley's guitars. A thought pops up in my head. Miley … and her guitars? "Miley … " I whisper unconsciously. As she looks at me, questioningly, her captivating voice when she's singing rings in my ears and I immediately smile. "I just had the greatest idea!" I then look towards the ceiling, saying more to myself than to anyone else: "You should sign up for the contest … you're an awesome musician!" I look at my girlfriend, smiling broadly, repeating myself, this time directed to her: "You should sing and play the guitar!"

"What? No." she simply replies with a soft expression on her face. Oliver agrees with me as he hears my suggestion: "That's a great idea! You should totally sing, Miley! You have a great voice, people will love it! Plus, I'll have a reasonable opponent." He smirks at the last sentence, and Joanie punches his shoulder. Dork!

My girlfriend suddenly looks a little stressed and she frowns. She says: "Seriously, guys, I can't perform at school. It's too scary!" I sigh. I know she's shy but I'm so positive that the kids at school are going to like it, maybe it can take her self-consciousness away a little! Even Joanie sides with us: "From what I've heard so far, Stewart, you don't have to be scared of anything. You can totally rock the stage and show the other kids that you actually _have_ talent!" while eyeing her boyfriend at the last part of the sentence. He throws her a disappointed look, but she just kisses him shortly and he relaxes again. I shake my head at him. That boy hasn't got any talent, he's a hopeless case.

Miley now finally starts thinking about signing up for that contest. She doesn't even have to practice, as she is already really good at singing and playing the guitar. I doubt that we have _that_ many talents at school. She then looks at us again, searching our eyes for confirmation, which I give her in every possible way. She sighs, her forehead holding deep wrinkles in thought. I soften my expression and say: "It's fine, sweetheart. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

She smiles and replies with something I actually didn't expect: "It's not that … I just don't know which song I should pick." Oh my god, she's actually going to sing? "So you're gonna do it?" I ask her, just to be completely sure. She laughs and nods her head. This is so cool! I'm so excited! She's going to be so absolutely perfect! I grin fiercely and almost tackle her with my hug. I plant kisses all over her face, knowing that it's tickling her and she laughs, trying to make me stop. After a while I pin her against the ground, shortly looking into her eyes and my grin turns into a casual and loving smile. "You're the best, Miley." I whisper and then lean down to kiss her.

The sensation doesn't last long because I hear Joanie clearing her throat at our - more or less - PDA. Damn it! I almost forgot that Oliver and Joanie were still here. I crawl off my girlfriend again and sit up, ducking my head in defense, also clearing my throat. Miley basically mirrors me. I can see Joanie rolling with her eyes and Oliver just grinning.

"But only … " Miley breaks the rather awkward silence and we turn our attention to her, she continues: "if you guys help me pick a song." I immediately start thinking. What could she sing?

"Oh, oh!" Oliver yelps, looking as if he's going to have a heart attack if he won't tell us his idea. I raise an eyebrow at him. He says: "What about Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone'?" He gets another hit from Joanie and I laugh at him. His girlfriend says: "You're _such_ a girl, honey! She's _not_ going to sing Kelly Clarkson songs. I'd suggest something like 'Zombie' - The Cranberries."

It's funny … Oliver's obsession with Kelly Clarkson. He really is a girl inside. I remember that I was at a concert with him once. Front row, of course, and I swear Oliver was screaming louder than Kelly herself. I thought he'd faint after that concert. Or when she came on stage. I had the time of my life at this concert with that boy.

And Joanie hates her. She always says her squeaky voice wants to make her throw up or jump out of a window. It's always funny to watch them argue about music. And poor Oliver can't listen to Kelly Clarkson when Joanie's with him so he usually turns her music up in his or my car when we're driving somewhere together. I don't mind, I personally think she's cool.

"What about a Taylor Swift song then?" my best friend suggests, which gets him another punch from Joanie and a snort from me and also a chuckle from Miley. Just like I said, he's really a girl. I still think about a few artists and songs she could sing, but I can't come up with anything for a competition, which also fits Miley's voice …

"What about Radiohead?" Joanie asks. Hmm … I shake my head, although 'Creep' would be quite an experiment with Miley's voice. I don't know if it really fits her that much. Hmm … what could possibly fit her better than … "Oh my god!" I exclaim, a little uncontrolled, since I didn't really want to say it out loud. All eyes are on me now, but I immediately tell the guys: "One of your own songs!" Oliver just tilts his head, not understanding what I mean, Joanie just nods and Miley looks a little expressionless. I say again: "Miles, you could sing one of your own songs! You said you had plenty!"

But Miley looks a little troubled again. "I'd feel more comfortable with a cover, Lilly. My songs are … well … personal. And I'd be too scared that people won't like them, you know?" she explains. I do understand, actually, and I nod. It was worth a shot. We think for another two minutes before she says: "Tell you what, I _am_ going to sing a Taylor Swift song." Oliver's eyes lighten up and his smile grows very, very wide. But I also smile at her. Probably a good decision. Miley continues: "I know a couple of songs, also how to play them on the guitar. What do you guys think of 'Teardrops On My Guitar'?"

"Perfect!" Oliver immediately replies. Yeah, could be quite awesome, and I also nod approvingly. Joanie just rolls with her eyes again, but also agrees, even though a little reluctantly.

ooo

Joanie and Oliver have long left and Miley was practicing the chords, the picking patterns and the singing. I just lay on her bed the whole time, listening. Her raspy, full and unique voice has me captivated. It feels like I'm soaring in heaven, and an angel's voice is singing to me. And I don't believe in heaven. Miley just makes me believe it.

After a while she pauses and sighs. I immediately sit up, my ears aching for the sound coming from her voice combined with the guitar, and I look at her with a rather desperate expression. Desperate for her to keep on singing. "What's wrong, honey?" I ask, a little concerned. She looks unhappy.

"I don't know … I'm just not feelin' it, Lilly." she then looks into my eyes, searching them for advice. Hmm, how can I help her? I ask: "You want to figure out a different song? It doesn't have to be a Taylor Swift song, you know?"

Miley smiles and sits down beside me, kissing me lightly on the lips. "No, it's fine. I just … I just can't feel the song right now. I mean, it's quite awesome, but … I want the performance tomorrow to be perfect. And for it to be perfect I need a song where I can completely fall into … "

She has a point. It's not like it'd fit her situation right now. I frown. I suck at finding the right song for her, I went through a hundred songs in my head and I just can't find anything right. I look at my girlfriend to find her deep in thought. She's staring at the ground, biting her lower lip in that process, which I think is absolutely adorable and a little hot.

"You know what … " she says, still facing the floor, I just tilt my head. "You were right from the beginning." I raise my eyebrows questioningly and she then looks at me, a light smile on her face. "I'm going to perform one of my own songs. Them I can identify with! Heck, I wrote them in a certain situation in my life."

My eyes lighten up. This is so cool! She is seriously the best! I lean in, pressing my lips against hers in a longish and passionate kiss. I know that it means quite a lot to her. I haven't heard a lot of her songs, since she's always scared I might not like them, but so far I loved every single one of them, but now she's singing one for the school, basically. As we break apart I look deeply into her eyes and assure her: "You're going to be great, Miley. I believe in you!" Her smile grows and she pecks me on the lips again. "Thank you, Lilly! It means a lot coming from you."

I lie back down on her bed, crossing my hands behind my head and I look to her, asking: "Do I know it?" She looks at me for a second or two, thinking about it, but then shakes her head no. I shortly look at the ceiling, then back at her, my voice now turning innocently: "Is there, by any chance, a possibility that you will play that song for me?" She grins and shakes her head no again, adding: "Nope!" and then she puts her guitar away. I groan, but I won't beg her to sing it for me. I tried that before and there is no possible way to convince her otherwise.

She comes back to the bed, crawling on top of me and kissing me heatedly. "But … " she starts, her voice turning raspier than before, her eyes sparkling and glistening in a very familiar way and I smirk devilishly. "I can help you getting your mind off of wanting to know what the song will sound like … " she whispers into my ear before biting down on my neck, which makes a throaty moan escape me. She definitely knows my weak spots and she knows how and when to use them …

ooo

I wake up the next morning to Miley's alarm. Yeah, I slept over at her place. Last night turned out to be quite exciting. And not just once, rather multiple times, if you know what I'm saying. And according to Miley's somehow animalistic noises, I wasn't the only one enjoying last night. The brunette beauty beside me turns and throws her arm towards the alarm but misses and her hand smashes on the nightstand. "Ow … " she grumbles and starts fumbling around for the alarm. I lean over her and say: "Be careful, honey, I don't want you to hurt yourself." before turning the alarm off for her.

"Morning, love." I whisper before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She stirs and stretches, then finally opens her eyes. A ray of light shines directly over her eyes, making them look very light-green, almost grey. She smiles as she looks at me, replying: "Mornin', sexy. Slept well?"

I grin, leaning down and kissing her again. "I did … after you drained all the power left in me last night." I purr and I kiss her again hotly. Forget school … Miley's body is way better to study.

"Girls, are you up already?" I hear a muffled shout through the door. I sigh and end the kiss. Looks like that was it for now. "Yeah, dad. We're out in a few minutes!" Miley replies, trying not to sound too disappointed. I sit up, stretch and yawn. That feels damn good …

"Well … let's get dressed, huh?" I ask before her dad thinks about walking into the room. I mean, he's cool with us being together now, but I'm sure he won't be so happy to see us both naked in Miley's bed. My girlfriends agrees and we get ready for the day.

ooo

"Okay, so … guitar, check … " Miley says to herself. We're backstage at the little talent show at our school. It's quite crowded, since parents, siblings, boyfriends and girlfriends were invited as well, as it is evening now.

"Voice warmed up … check." my girlfriend says. Yeah, she warmed it up just now, it's going to be quite stressful once the contest starts. There are quite a lot of people who signed up for the contest and we want to get finished tonight.

"Clothes on and sitting in the right place … check." I hear her saying and I raise an eyebrow at her. She's really nervous. But I understand. We have quite a large - what should I call it - festival room, with a stage and a huge seating area. You could have a little concert here. I mean, we are a big school and it's not uncommon that we have school plays, musicals or even talent shows. I'm just not interested in these sorts of extracurricular activities.

"Stage fright … check." at this comment I have to interfere: "Miley … honey … sweetie … you're gonna be great! I can't wait to hear you perform, so do Oliver and Joanie! You're the best!" I smile at her encouragingly. She breathes in and out once to calm her nerves and seems to succeed in it.

"Hey, it's only going to be me in the audience, okay?" I say, kissing her shortly on the lips. "I know you can do this … " I whisper, while resting my forehead against hers. She looks into my eyes and then smiles happily. "You're right! I can do this!"

"That's my girl!" I say, hugging her. She'll rock the stage! Unfortunately we're interrupted by a girl named Sarah, who manages this whole contest: "Hey, only contestants are allowed backstage at this time! And since you're not a contestant, Lilly Truscott, I must ask you to leave!"

I roll my eyes at her and obey. But before I do so I tell Miley: "I love you!" And can only manage to hear Miley replying: "I love you, too!" since Sarah is already pulling me on my arm away from Miley, around a few corners until I see the large number of rows and seats, where the audience is.

I saved myself a seat close to the front, since only teachers are allowed in the front row. As I arrive at my seat I not only see Joanie, but also my mom, Miley's dad, Jackson and Alex. Miley invited her on short notice, but she was free so also came here as well. I still don't know what's up with her and my girlfriend, but I'm keeping a close eye on that girl!

"Hey, mom!" I greet my mother, hugging her shortly. I look up and also greet Miley's dad, then I ask my mom: "So I'm guessing you met Miley's dad already?" She nods shortly before I go on and fist-punch Jackson and shortly hug Alex to greet them as well.

I then sit down beside Joanie. We still have two seats reserved for Oliver and Miley. They're allowed to come outside here after they performed. I'm really excited now. Oh, and there's also a simple voting system, since it is a competition. Just write the name of the contestant on the card you get when entering the hall and throwing it in a box when going out. Of course the name of each contestant is written on a paper, which also is handed out, alongside with the little card. I think I'm gonna put down Miley's name upfront. For me she is always going to be the best.

"So, how's your girlfriend doing back there?" Joanie asks me. I smile and reply: "She seems fine, just a little nervous, that's all. What about Oliver?" I haven't really wished him good luck, since I think it's not really a 'talent' to eat hot dogs. And by the way, he could manage to get fifteen hotdogs and he said he'll eat them in a minute or so. That seems a lot more possible than fifty in ten minutes. He's such an idiot sometimes!

"He's so convinced that he has talent … so he's not even close to nervous." Joanie tells me, also a little annoyed by her boyfriend. I chuckle at this statement. Oh boy, Oliver … do you really think you can pull that one off without making a complete fool of yourself?

"I bet you five bucks that he'll puke!" I say, challenging Joanie. She laughs at this, replying: "Fine, even though we both know he will throw up." We shake hands shortly and then our headmaster starts his speech.

Oliver is going to be the first … I guess they wanted to get rid of him quickly as well. Our headmaster introduces him: "Our very first contestant is Oliver Oken! He claims to have a huge stomach and an even larger appetite." The audience applauds politely, and a few boys already start to shout 'Eat! Eat!'.

Oliver walks up the stage and puts his hot dogs down on a small table placed there. He speaks into the mic: "What's up! I'm Oliver and my talent is that I can eat fifteen hot dogs in less than a minute!" This is usually the part where the audience applauds again … or encourage him? I'm not sure … it's dead quiet in the room.

"Well then, Mister Oken, I'll check the watch. You can start in three … two … one … go!" and Oliver start shoving those hot dogs into his mouth. My god, he's so pathetic! Some guys in the audience already start laughing, others are actually cheering and I can barely contain myself from giggling. I look at Joanie, who also looks a little embarrassed by her boyfriend.

"Forty-five seconds to go." the headmaster says. My mom leans over and asks: "Is this really supposed to be a reasonable talent?" I laugh shortly and reply: "Not even close, mom. Especially not coming from Oliver." She nods, satisfied with my answer. "Thought so." she adds.

"Thirty seconds!" the headmaster announces. I look at the number of hot dogs which are still lying on the plate … more than half, I guess. If you think about it, it is quite a large number of hot dogs for a minute. Oh well …

"Fifteen seconds!" I hear and I really can't hold back laughter anymore, but a lot of boys in the audience start shouting 'Eat it up! Eat it up!' again, a few others are laughing. Poor Ollie is being laughed at by a lot of people, but he doesn't seem to mind, since there are a lot more cheering for him. He just keeps on eating, but it doesn't look good for him.

In the last ten seconds he started speeding up and he's down to only very few hot dogs in the end. " … three … two … one … time!" Even the audience was shouting now, and Oliver stops eating. The crowd is applauding politely again. I just watch curiously what will happen now. The headmaster turns to him and says: "Thank you, Oliver. Are you okay?"

Oliver starts saying: "Thanks, I'm just f-" but then clasps his hand in front of his mouth and runs off stage. Hahaha! I so knew it! I start laughing even more at him, before turning to Joanie: "Looks like I just won five bucks!" She sighs at me and hands the five dollars over, saying: "Even though it was quite an unfair bet."

I just smirk and turn back to the stage. The headmaster seems at loss of words: "Well … that was Oliver Oken … you can write up his name on the little card you got if you think he has talent."

After Oliver follows a quite lame break dancing crew, a boy who raps, then our very own cheerleading squad who pull off quite a show, and of course all of our jocks and popular people in school will vote for them, since everybody loves them. What I find a little weird is that Rachel, their head cheerleader, is not with them. But oh well, just my luck. After that show there's a duet, who apparently can't hit any of the notes right, then a drummer who tries for the greatest drum solo ever, but obviously just slams down what he got and I can't really catch anything rhythmic.

"That dude sucks, even I could've done that better." I suddenly hear a familiar voice beside me. I turn to see my best friend, who looks a little pale but quite happy. "Nice show, Oliver!" I tell him and punch his shoulder. Joanie is the one to ask: "Are you okay, Big-O?" He sighs and nods: "Yeah, I'm okay. The last hot dog was too much, I guess."

I decide not to comment this and pay attention to the stage again. It's Miley's turn after the drummer finished his solo. A few seconds later he gets up and bows and the headmaster speaks again: "Alright … thank you, Johnny." The audience applauds and the boy walks off. My heartbeat starts rising as I anticipate my girlfriend on stage. "Our next candidate is Miss Miley Stewart, and she hasn't told me what she is going to do, so this is going to be a surprise for us all." he announces and the crowd start applauding carefully. What, she hasn't even told him that she's going to sing? Haha, my girl …

Miley walks up on stage, her head down and guitar strapped over her shoulder. She's nervous, I can see it from where I'm sitting. Oliver, Jackson, Alex and I start cheering and shouting and to this she looks up and finds my eyes immediately. She smiles one of her most gorgeous smiles ever. The headmaster puts the microphone in front of her and makes space for my gorgeous girlfriend.

She places the guitar in front of herself and says in quite a thick accent: "Hey, I'm Miley, and I'm gonna sing a song tonight. I really hope y'all like it." She pauses shortly before she begins and we four, plus Mister Stewart and my mom, start cheering again, which gets another smile out of Miley, and then she starts strumming the first chords. I really don't know that song … god, I'm so excited! I wait impatiently for her to finally start singing …

"_Take the world, shake and stir and that's what I got going on … I throw my cares up in the air and I don't think they're comin' down … yeah I love how it feels right now … _"

The room suddenly gets quiet. Miley seems to have everybody put under her spell. With her soft guitar strumming and her breathtaking voice. And this song … it's such a lovely and cute song … and she wrote it. I sigh happily and continue to watch her intensely. She looks like a real rock star tonight. She's only casually dressed. A white t-shirt, which has a yellow logo on it, and a black vest over it, along with ripped blue-jeans and black Converse.

My mom leans over again, telling me: "Now _she_ is _really_ good, Lilly! I never thought she's such a good singer!" I smile at that comment, proud of my girlfriend. I just nod as a reply, I can't form any words right now, I'm still too stunned from the angelic voice of my girlfriend up on stage. Unfortunately every song has an end and Miley's end to the song was very soft and smooth. "Thank you." she says into the mike and the crowd suddenly starts cheering. People I'd never thought that would cheer, were actually applauding wildly. So proud of Miley right now!

She then walks off of stage with a really, really big smile and everybody calms down again. Man, so good!

Oliver suddenly remarks: "That was not a Taylor Swift song! Did Miley write it herself?" I shake my head and pat his shoulder, replying with the first name that pops into my head: "No, stupid, Hannah Montana wrote that." but obviously quite seriously, since Oliver looked at me with a very confused expression. "Who the hell is Hannah Montana?" he asks with quite a blank expression. I laugh at him, still pumped with excitement and adrenalin from only watching Miley perform, and I reply: "A name I just made up? Doughnut, of course Miley wrote that song!"

"It was really awesome. You have a great girlfriend there, Lilly!" he compliments me, I just keep on grinning like an idiot. A few moments later I spot Miley heading towards us and I catch her in the tightest hug ever. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, Miley, I'm soooooo proud of you!" I practically scream at her. "I told you you're gonna be awesome!" I add.

"My gosh, Lilly, I was so nervous!" Miley exclaims while holding on tightly to me. After everybody else also complimented her we sit down and the first thing I do is kiss her. Just kiss her. And she kisses me back. "You're my rock star." I whisper into her ear after we break apart. She just gives me a totally incredulous smile.

I don't really pay attention to the next few contestants, I'm more into chatting with my friends, and occasionally kissing Miley since I'm finding her completely irresistible after that terrific performance. I just realize that there are a few dancers, a juggler, also a few singers, who aren't even close to as great as Miley, and a few people who play on instruments. But one particular guy stands out and has a very similar effect on the crowd as Miley did.

I just had to take a look who it was. A guy with a double bass. Yeah, a double bass! I think this is one of the most amazing instruments ever. And that guy, standing there with his head down and his long hair covering his face, plays a lick which I think rocks everybody's asses in the room, no matter if you're into bass-playing or not. It's a bass-solo, and he's playing it slap-style.

"Oh my god, that is so tight!" I can't hold back my comment. Miley immediately agrees with me: "Yeah, he so rocks the stage!" We all listen carefully as he brings his solo to a very speedy climax and then let's the song finish very smoothly. Okay, that guy is a god in base-playing!

We all cheer loudly for him and he seems quite satisfied and happy with the applause and attention he's getting. Well, he deserves it, definitely. The headmaster then contains his excitement and speaks into the mic: "Thank you so much for that performance! Leandro Rivers, ladies and gentlemen!"

Everybody starts cheering once more. Awesome performance. I wish everyone who was up there tonight was as tight as Miley and that Leandro guy. When the audience settles down our headmaster speaks up again: "So, we're finally coming down to the last act for tonight. I was actually anticipating her the whole night, since she was always one of the top favored candidates in the past talent shows. Give it up for our very own Rachel Unick!"

"Oh no … " I say and take a look at the list with the names, hoping I just heard the wrong name. Oh crap. "Lilly, is this _Rachel_?" Miley asks me. I sigh and just nod. Rachel, my ex. The one fabulous, and definitely unique Rachel I used to date. I take Miley's hand in mine, frowning. That's why she wasn't cheering with the girls before.

"Hey everybody." she says in the microphone with her typical mocking and sexy voice. "I'm going to make a burlesque performance. Enjoy." and then she blows a kiss to the audience. The boys start howling and whistling. I just roll my eyes. Whatever, it's just Rachel.

You can probably imagine what her outfit looks like if she's dancing a burlesque thingy. My only problem is that I can't look away. The way she moves up there is just so … so damn sexy. And then she sometimes throws me glances. But I frown. I don't like it. I feel uncomfortable. That bitch thinks she can get Lilly Truscott to fall for her sexiness again, but she won't! I have someone even more sexy with me now and that girl is sitting right next to me. I turn my head to look at my girlfriend. She as well seems quite fascinated with the girl dancing on stage, but I only continue to look at Miley. She's all I have right now and that's more than I ever imagined.

My mom's voice startles me a little: "I haven't seen her around in a while. And to be frank, I'm glad about that!" I turn to her and chuckle shortly. "Me, too, mom. Trust me, I'm so glad I'm not with _her_ anymore." I reply and my mom sits back up again, looking at me and then nods with a smile.

I then look back up at Rachel. I watch her dancing, showing off her curves and practically doing a lap dance up there for everyone in the audience. I suddenly have flashbacks of wild nights with the hazel-eyed sexiness on stage. But at those times her body was only for show for me. I sigh again, this is so wrong! I can finally avert my eyes from Rachel to the side, looking at my current girlfriend. I suddenly feel relaxed. Yes, Miley's definitely more than I ever imagined. This is just so much better!

After Rachel is done there's cheering again, mostly from the students. I just fold my arms. This was even more ridiculous than Oliver and his fifteen hot dogs. I shake my head.

"I still can't believe you dated that girl, Lilly." Miley says with a frown. I sigh, giving Miley's hand a squeeze. "I'm just glad I'm not dating her anymore, Miley. And I'm so glad I have you now. You're just so perfect. You, out of every girl I might have had _something_ with, are the only one who completes me." wow, Lilly … cheesy much? I'm surprised by myself. I don't usually say things like that, but it seems to ease Miley's nerves. I know that she was worried about me still liking Rachel. We talked about it on Wednesday after Miley first saw her.

And now my gorgeous girlfriend smiles and kisses me, probably a little longer than intended, but I don't complain. She pulls back and says: "Thank you, Lilly. That was really sweet!" I just smile at her. She's my one, no one else.

ooo

Okay, now's the moment of truth. There was quite a long break where the votes were counted, but we're sitting in the hall again. All the contestants are on stage, and the headmaster just said he's only going to read out the top five.

"Fifth place is Craig Jeffers with a very nice juggling performance!" he says and the boy steps to the front, bowing, then goes back to the others.

"Fourth place is our Cheerleading Squad!" all the cheerleader-loving people in the crowd cheer for them. The girls jump to the front, also bow, and then jump back.

"Third place is Rachel Unick and her burlesque performance!" my ex looks a little pissed that she didn't win this thing, but bows anyways. I just snort. Suits her right! Okay, it's getting really exciting now … I hope Miley wins this.

"The first two places were really close, I gotta say, only very few votes parted them. Second place is Miley Stewart and with her wonderful voice!" announces the headmaster and a broad grin spreads across her face as she steps to the front bowing, her guitar in her hand. The crowd starts cheering wildly, and we are screaming our lungs out. Have I mentioned that I'm so really proud of Miley?

"And first place and winner of a coupon to Rico's at the beach is Leandro Rivers with a bass solo I wish I could hear every day." the boy steps up, shakes the headmaster's hand and takes the coupons. He deserved it. He was really good. I smile at my girlfriend, who's looking at me and show her thumbs up.

"Thank you everybody, I hope to see you at our next talent-contest. Goodnight!" the headmaster wraps up everything and people get up, contestants get off stage and I just patiently wait for my perfect girlfriend.

ooo

Miley's sleeping over at my place again tonight and we're sitting in mom's car on our way home. "You know, you were so totally better than the guy with his bass. You should've won this thing." I tell Miley. I really wanted her to win, but I guess second place is cool as well.

Miley smiles and pecks me on the lips. "It's fine, Lilly. He deserved it. I wouldn't have thought that I'd hit the top five anyways, so it was a really positive surprise for me." she replies, still looking pumped and happy about the contest.

"Don't be so modest, Miley." my mom now also chimes in, "You were fantastic tonight and you know it. Or as Lilly would say, you totally kicked ass."

My jaw drops at my mom's expression. "My gosh, mother, how could you says such a bad word?" I tease her, which earns me a playful slap on the knee from my mom. I pull Miley closer to me and whisper in her ear: "But you did kick ass, sweetheart. And you'll always be my number one!"

Miley kisses me softly, smiling afterwards, her eyes lighting up with that smile. A happy and definitely satisfied smile. "I love you, Lilly, you know that?" she replies, also in a whisper and I nudge her nose with mine. "Of course! And you know I love you, too."

**A/N:** Just to make it clear, I love Kelly Clarkson ^^ what did you guys think about the chapter? Leave your thoughts =) I tried not to be too harsh on Oliver! I never attended an eating-contest, but I think fifteen hot dogs in a minute is quite much! If you guys think or know otherwise, just tell me, I'll correct it ;)

And about the song Miley sang (This Is The Life, obviously), imagine it to be a slower, only guitar version. I'm probably going to record it and put it on youtube the way I imagined it being played! Tell me if you guys want to see it =)

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon! I'm working on it as much as I can!


	31. Surprise, Surprise

**A/N:** Hmm … again a long wait for you for this update … I'm terribly sorry and I hope this chapter can make it up for you. Unfortunately it's not as good as the last one, I just hope you guys still enjoy this story. I'm trying to write as much as possible, so … enjoy reading =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Surprise, surprise

"Mornin', mom … " I say, my voice still hoarse from sleeping, and probably also from the screaming and cheering last night, as I step into the kitchen. I still feel pumped and excited from yesterday, but I'm still waking up, so a little too tired to show it. Miley's following me, also looking a little tired, but definitely more awake than I do. "Mornin', Miss T!"

It's Saturday, yeah, but I set an alarm since we were up a little late last night and we should be ready for lunch today, ready and hungry, that's why I set an alarm. Mom's not too surprised. "Morning, girls! Want some breakfast?"

"Just a small bite." I reply, popping down at the table, trying to wake up a little more. My mom then turns to Miley, looking at her questioningly, and my girlfriend replies: "For me, too, please."

Miley kisses my forehead and says: "I'm gonna make you some coffee." then turns around, towards the machine. I smile and say: "You're the best!" Miley turns around and blows me a kiss. I just grin goofily.

"So, what are you two up to today?" my mom asks me and I suddenly feel more awake since my heartbeat starts rising. I can't tell her the truth! But I hate lying to her! Calm down, Lilly, she just asked you what you're going to do. Plus, you decided not to tell her yet, but soon. I reply: "Maybe the beach … or the mall."

Mom just nods. Good, she doesn't suspect anything. Damn, I gotta tell her someday … and I'm not looking forward to it. Miley puts a cup of hot coffee in front of me. Milk is already in it, and I don't want any sugar. I peck her on the lips, thankfully. She just knows what I want. And dang, that coffee smells good!

"I'll be heading to work around one. It'd be really nice of you two if you could help me around the house a little." mom requests. I look at my girlfriend and shrug, just like she does, and Miley is the one to reply this time: "Sure, no problem!"

My mom's not a clean-freak, but you just have to do a little cleaning every once in a while, right?

ooo

I swing my backpack over my shoulder and then walk over to mom, hugging her goodbye. "See you, mom!" I add and wait for Miley to also hug my mom and say her goodbyes. "Have fun, girls!"

I smile at her, "You, too!" and then head out to my car, tossing my bag in the back and hopping into the driver's seat. Miley still hasn't got her license, but she's already practicing for the test with her dad. Shouldn't be too long until she has it. So far she's a very descent driver.

"Ready for this, Miley?" I ask her, since I am nervous about meeting my dad again. And this time he's bringing Carol … but at least I have Miley with me this time. My girlfriend chuckles and replies: "You should ask yourself that question, honey. But I'm ready if you are!"

How can she keep so calm? I mean, my dad alone seems fine. I'm probably more nervous about that Carol person … my mom should actually be in her position … I sigh, but give Miley a smile. "Yeah … let's just go."

ooo

We decided to go to a burger place across town. Nothing fancy, just a place to hang out and talk. I breathe in and out slowly one more time to calm myself down a little. I hate being nervous like that. I'm stronger than this! I step out of the car, take out my bag, lock it and take Miley's hand in mine. Okay, now I'm ready to go. I take a step, but Miley pulls me back. I look at her, just to find her smiling at me lovingly and reassuringly. She strokes my cheek and then places a very soft kiss on my lips. The pace of my heartbeat sinking drastically as I calm down a lot.

"Get a room, you two!" I hear a deep voice from beside us, which makes us break apart. I turn my head to find my dad smiling at us. Beside him stands a woman, holding his hand. She's about Miley's height, so a little taller than me, rather short hair, not even touching her shoulders, not quite dark blond and also not brunette, something in between, her eye color I can't make out, just dark-ish, wearing a simple t-shirt, which is not too tight and not too loose, blue-jeans and random shoes. Not to mention she is smiling at me, just like my dad is. So … _this_ is Carol? She looks different from what I expected. She looks good, not like Barbie Doll-good, and definitely not ugly, just … good.

"Hey, Lilly." my dad greets me, I just nod with a small smile. "Hi, Miley." he then turns to my girlfriend and they shake hands, "Hi, Mister Truscott!" He then introduces the woman beside him: "And this is my girlfriend, Carol." his voice sounding proud. The short-haired woman smiles and shakes Miley's and my hand. "Hi, Miley, Lilly."

Okay, glad that this part is over … we all walk into the restaurant, get a table and order something to drink. "So, girls, how was the rest of your week?" my dad starts a small talk before an awkward silence can develop. I'm grateful for it. "It was okay, I guess. I mean, apart from school it was really nice." I reply, shrugging, then I turn to Miley and smile at her, telling dad also the coolest news from this week: "We had a talent contest thingy at school yesterday, and Miley placed second … almost first."

Miley blushes politely as I tell them. Aw, she's so cute when she's blushing. Such a modest girlfriend! Carol is now the first to exclaim: "Really? Congratulations! What did you do?"

Miley smiles thankfully now and looks up at her, answering: "I sang and played the guitar." I add: "A song she wrote herself!" Miley nudges me at that statement, but I just grin at her. She should really stop being so modest.

"Cool, so you're an artist?" Carol asks her, seeming fascinated by my girlfriend. Now it's my time to nudge Miley and smile at her reassuringly, basically telling her not to be so modest. My brunette beauty now replies with more confidence: "I am, yeah."

"And is that creativity rubbing off on my daughter?" my father teases with a smirk, which earns him a look from me and a slight nudge from his girlfriend. Good, at least she's on our side. Miley just chuckles and replies: "Well I taught Lilly a little how to play the guitar."

"Let's just make this simple, I'm a hopeless case when it comes to arts." I finish for Miley, sighing. But I'm not that dull when it comes to creativity. Maybe just not made to be a musician, that's okay. Miley then steps in for me: "But Lilly is really good at sports, especially soccer."

Dad just sits back and folds his arms, looking proud. Seeing him like that loosens me up. Feels good when your dad is proud of you. I smile. "I heard that as well! Just like your father." Carol says, patting his belly in a loving manner and smiling at him. I frown a little. It is a weird feeling and sight for me. Another woman at my dad's side. But they look happy.

"So how long have you two been dating?" my dad's girlfriend asks us, her constant smile still on her face. I take Miley's hand in mine, giving it a light squeeze and reply: "Just a little over a month now." I smile and look over at Miley, who smiles back with her usual, loving smile and we share a quick kiss. I lean back and put an arm around my girlfriend's shoulders.

"Really? You two seem so close, I thought you dated longer than that." she states, "But I think you're really cute together." I smile at the older woman. She really is a nice person, is she?

"May I ask … how are people at school taking that you're a couple? Or is it more common now? I mean, not that it's been an eternity that I was in school. I'm just curious." Carol then asks us. I look at Miley and then back at her, telling her: "It's always been fine at our school. I mean, of course there are kids who think it's gross, or 'totally hot' … but all in all it's fine. What do you think, Miley?"

"I was definitely more nervous about coming out than you, Lil. But I saw that people were more accepting than I thought, so I'm comfortable now." my girlfriend says. Carol nods, seeming satisfied with the answer.

We have a nice conversation afterwards, not just about Miley and me being a couple, also about school, and basically about everything. My nervousness about meeting my dad's new girlfriend is pretty much gone now. I hate to admit it, but dad was right … Carol is a saint. She seems open minded and very understanding for a lot of things, she seems to take life very positively and I also think she's an achiever. She reached quite some goals in her life so far, just with the way she is. Definitely a person to look up to.

"I'll be right back." she excuses herself and heads towards the bathroom. Dad also is heading to the men's room shortly after. Miley then suddenly leans close and whispers into my ear: "Lilly, have you noticed as well?"

I raise an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean? That Carol is a really nice person?" I ask, but Miley shakes her head, telling me: "All those little things she does? For example constantly touching and holding her belly? If I might add, rather protectively but proud?"

"I don't think so. Why? What do you mean?" I ask, not really getting what Miley wants from me. I say: "Maybe it's just something she does?" Miley frowns a little, saying: "Maybe, but don't you really get what I'm trying to get to?"

I shrug, I really don't know what she's getting to … wait … maybe I do … but … no, no … this can't be, right? … I start getting nervous again. This would be way too weird! I look at Miley with a rather panicked expression. "Are you saying, that she- "

But my dad joins us again, sitting down in his chair and asking: "So, what do you think of Carol so far?" My head shoots up at him, probably a little too fast. I try not to look panicked. Dad said he had a surprise for me. Wait, Lilly, stop rushing your thoughts into something you can't know! And answer his damn question! "I think she's really nice." I tell him, keeping my voice calm as well. Miley nodding in agreement.

I take Miley's hand in mine and only now I realize how sweaty and cold my hands have become. My girlfriend gives me a worried look, but I try to keep a straight face. How I'm craving another cigarette right now. It would calm me down in an instant. At least the last times it did. Instead, I reach out for my glass but knock it over. "Oh, shit!" I exclaim, picking it up again, saving as much liquid as possible and fidgeting around for a napkin.

A soft touch suddenly tries to keep me calm, and it's not Miley. It's Carol, who's put her hand on my forearm and smiles at me, saying: "It's okay, sweetie, things like this happen." I suddenly feel like I'm three again and this was the first time I spilled something. But her calm words help me getting down a bit. I smile back at her, gratefully. We wipe away the spilled juice and I sit back and sigh. Why did she talk to me as if I were a little child? I must ask dad.

"Dad?" I say, getting his attention, and I clear my throat shortly, "Didn't you say you have a surprise or something?" I take Miley's hand in mine again, giving it another squeeze. I'm preparing for everything right now, but unfortunately not prepared enough for what might come.

"Oh, yeah! I do, actually … " he sits back, smiling, taking his girlfriend's hand in his. Oh god, I knew this would be about her … I swallow hard, but unnoticed for everyone else … and then he finally tells us: "Carol is now three months pregnant! We're having a baby!"

My jaw drops. So it was true what Miley was hinting out then … she's pregnant … I seriously don't know what to say to this. Should I be happy for them? Happy for my dad, that he has a new family, when he's technically still married to my mom? How … why … what the heck? Luckily Miley's voice brings me back to the table we're sitting at right now: "Wow, congratulations!" I don't know if she's playing excited or actually is excited. I decide to chime in, it'd be rude not to right now: "Yeah … congratulations, dad … Carol." just that I'm not that good an actress …

"Thanks, girls!" my dad remarks, pride very evident in his voice. I force a smile on my face, but it just won't work the way I want to. I just can't get the picture of my dad, with Carol instead of my mother, and a baby, maybe even married, into my head. I don't know why it makes me feel so angry, cold and alone. I should be happy for him … for them, shouldn't I?

"Are you okay, Lilly?" I hear a concerned Carol asking me. I fight to look into her eyes but manage to do so. I try again to give her a smile. A smile that hasn't quite reached my eyes, and I reply: "Yeah … I'm fine, just … " I try not to trail off, my thoughts still holding this … _picture_ … of my dad, Carol and a baby. And mom and me at a completely different planet. I quickly collect my thoughts to form a proper ending to the answer: "… just quite big … news."

I pressed this sentence out with a force. A force not to yell, scream or cry. I sigh, probably a little loud, but it was rather uncontrolled. I then look up at my father and Carol and they both look at me. And to my surprise, they have a very understanding look on their faces. And if I look more accurate, they both even smile a little. And I don't really know why … but it does actually make me feel a little better …

ooo

I'm back at home, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Miley is sitting beside me, looking concerned, holding my hand in hers. "Are you okay, hon?" she asks me. She heard it as well, at least I don't have to explain to her what happened.

"I don't know … the feeling of my dad having a 'new' family just … it's just so weird." I tell her, slowly looking at her. I sigh. "I mean … I don't know what to think about it … him having a girlfriend, okay … I think I am finally okay with that fact, heck, Carol seems like a really nice person and she's obviously changed my dad … but them having a baby … it's just a bit … sudden?" I try explaining my thoughts to my girlfriend.

She lies down beside me and starts stroking me. "I think I know what you mean, Lil. And I also think you have a right to dwell on those thoughts for longer than just a second. I think your dad and Carol understand that as well."

She's right. See, this is why I love her so much. She knows me and she knows exactly what to say to cheer me up without having to make something up. "Yeah … you're right, Miles. Thank you!" I then lean in for a tender kiss. Miley's eyes light up when my mood brightens and commands: "So, now let's get your butt outside again, it's such a beautiful day!"

ooo

The weekend was nice, I spent time with Miley, with Ollie and Joanie and with my mom, of course. No, no, I haven't told her about my dad and Carol so far. But I should before they decide to plan anything else. I'm more scared now, because if I mention Carol I must mention the baby as well, right? … I could also just leave it out … man, this sucks! I'll just wait for the right moment …

I'm sitting in the science lab, Miley just plopping down right next to me, then leaning in and kissing me shortly. I smile. I just can't get enough of kissing that girl. "How was math?" she asks me and I roll my eyes. "Don't ask." which makes Miley giggle.

"Hey, Stewart!" some random guy in class interrupts us. I just raise my eyebrow at him, Miley gives him her attention. He says: "That was some really neat singing you did there on Friday!"

I'm surprised, and Miley also seems to be. She replies with a polite: "Thank you." before turning her attention back to me. Now I have to set up an 'I told you'-face, because that's just what I did. Her popularity at school seems to be growing. She slaps my thigh and says: "Yeah, yeah, you told me! I know, I know."

"Proves that I'm always right." I just state, smirking. Miley just shakes her head, laughing and replying: "Yeah, yeah, just don't flatter yourself too much, girlfriend." We share another laugh together before the bell rings and shortly after that the teacher walks in.

ooo

I'm sitting at lunch with Oliver, Joanie and Miley, talking about the weekend. Actually about the meeting with my dad. Oliver is the one to talk right now: "This is really big news. Your dad's girlfriend being pregnant."

I nod, swallowing the bite I just had in my mouth. "Yeah, that was a shocker." I reply. I thought about it a little more on the weekend. I still don't know where exactly to put it, but at least talking about it doesn't affect me too much anymore, I guess. I take another bite of my food.

"I kinda thought that she was pregnant for quite some time ever since I first saw here. She was constantly touching her belly. And when Lilly spilled her juice she was being considerate, just like a mother would be to a child." my girlfriend says. Yup, Miley is really observant. Definitely more than I am.

"Wow, that sounds pretty … crazy. How're you coping with that, Truscott?" Joanie asks me. Yeah, that statement wasn't exactly what I needed to hear now. When somebody actually voices that it is a weird thing it doesn't seem as easy. I just reply, honestly: "I'm not. I'm still trying to figure out what to think about it." I hope they drop the subject.

"Excuse me, you're Miley Stewart, right?" a girl interrupts us, lucky for me. I know her. That's Trish Simms, one of the cheerleaders, and also one of Rachel's people. I sit up a little, to make myself noticeable. What do _they_ want from _my_ girlfriend? "Uh, yeah, I am." Miley replies. I watch her closely.

"I just came here to say, in the name of the cheerleaders, that you did a very nice job on Friday. And if you're interested in cheerleading, we're having auditions soon. Or you can just come sit at _our_ table, we might reserve a spot for you on the team." she offers Miley with an almost fake friendliness. I'm throwing daggers at that girl. If they're trying to take away my girlfriend from me, they're going to regret it. I wait patiently for Miley to answer. "Thank you, I'll think about it." Trish seems a little disappointed that Miley didn't just jump up, absolutely in love with the idea of becoming a cheerleader. That's my girl! But the cheerleader sets up another artificial smile, saying: "Take your time, Miley. See you soon!"

The girl starts walking away, before she suddenly stops, as if she forgot to say something, turns back around and now looks at me in an almost seductive manner. My eyebrows just narrow. She tells me: "Oh, and Lilly, Rachel says 'hi'."

"Piss off!" I almost shout after her. Rachel didn't say that, she told Trish to say it to make me angry. And stupid as I am, I'm angry at the mention of Rachel's name. Miley starts stroking my back. I look at her and ask, a little annoyed: "So, you going to join them?" jealousy overwhelming me. I'm not sure if I want Miley to join the cheerleading squad. Miley chuckles softly and replies: "I am going to think about it, Lilly, but I'm not really a cheerleader. I'm a singer."

"Right, and that's why you won't have to join them. You're better off without them, trust me." I tell her, not really thinking about what I'm saying. That caught Miley a little off guard and she looks a little hurt. I immediately regret what I just said and cup my girlfriend's cheek, saying: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way, Miley. You can do whatever you're in the mood for. And if you decide to be a cheerleader, that's okay. But I won't stop warning you about them, though."

Miley gives me a smile again. Okay, Lilly, next time … don't just snap at your girlfriend just because some lame cheerleader tried to make you mad. I lean in, kissing her again and then wrap her up in a hug. "I'm really sorry, Miles. That stupid girl pissed me off. I didn't mean to let it out on you. Can you forgive me?"

Miley pulls back to look into my eyes and replies: "I forgive you, Lilly. But only 'cause you're so dang cute!" We share another kiss and I hear from the other side of the table: "Awww … " I pull away from Miley only to lunge over the table and hit my best buddy playfully. "You're such a doughnut!"

**A/N:** So … seems like there's some trouble ahead of Lilly now, huh? I'll try not to leave you at the end of this chapter for too long. I still have a few cool things planned for this story, but it's starting to head towards a finish-line (but not _that_ soon), so stay tuned and leave your thoughts ;)


	32. Jealous

**A/N:** Aw man, I had this chapter written for quite some time and haven't uploaded it yet _ it's been too long since I updated, and that's why I really appreciate the two reviews I got on my last chapter!

HUGE shout-out to **nileyjiley** and **sweetkid45**, you guys keep me writing!

I'd lie if I said that it's still as easy as in the beginning to write this story, even though I have it all thought through. I'm planning on writing up to 40 chapters until this story is finished, and heck, I am going to make it! Whether people are still reading or not ;)

Unfortunately this is only a filler-chapter, but I promise the next one will be better! Enjoy reading, you guys!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Disney, Hannah Montana or the characters and actors/actresses, songs or movies used in this story!

**Bigger Than Us**

A Hannah Montana Fanfiction. OOC, AU, Liley

Jealous

It's been three days since I found out about my dad's and Carol's baby. Yesterday just wasn't my day, unfortunately. I had a very bad headache and felt nauseous so my mom signed me out for the day. But today I feel fine and fit again so there's no need to stay out of school … unfortunately. But I gotta say, ever since I met Miley I don't care about going to school. I don't enjoy it either, but I'm just glad that I can spend time with her there, no matter if it's only for one two hours or so.

"Are you sure you're feeling fine today, honey?" my mother asks a little concerned as I sit at the table. I take a bite of my toast and nod. "Yeah, sure. I think I just felt the weather or whatever. I'm good." After I said that I feel a hand tousling through my hair. It is my mom's and I look up at her. I feel like a little child again. She hasn't done that in quite a while and I smile unconsciously.

"You know, not too long ago you would've begged me to sign you out for just one more day. I'm glad that phase is over." she says, sitting down next to me. I take another bite of my toast and reply: "I never said that phase is over, but I want to see Miley today. And back then I didn't have anybody to look forward to seeing in school."

My mom just smiles and shakes her head, mumbling something like: "Young love … " I take a sip of my coffee. I haven't seen Miley yesterday, only for a few minutes. She passed by my house on the way home, but she couldn't stay long because her dad wanted some family-quality time again. And I just hope we can spend this afternoon together.

I lean back and stretch shortly as I finished my breakfast and suddenly I hear a knock on the front door. My mom looks at me and asks me: "Honey, would you go see who it is?" I nod and get up without hesitating since she's busy washing the few dirty dishes. I don't wonder who it is, actually. It could only be Oliver or Miley.

But when I open the door I don't just look into one, but two smiling faces. Well, two smiling faces and Joanie. "Miley, Oliver! What are you guys doing here?" I leap forward and into my girlfriend's arms first, hugging her tightly. As I look up, into her beautiful deep blue eyes, she tells me: "I just couldn't wait to see you, Lilly." and then we share a tender kiss. A tender and passionate kiss, I might add, which didn't want to end, until we hear someone clearing their throats beside us.

"Hey, lovebirds! What about me?" my shaggy-haired best friend complains and I pull away from Miley, hugging him instead for a second. "Hey, doughnut!" I greet him and punch him in the shoulder playfully. I then look at his girlfriend and greet her with a nod, which she mirrors.

After Oliver stops his fake pouting he gets serious and concerned again, asking: "You feeling better, buddy?" I smile and reply: "I am, actually, thanks."

"I was really worried about you yesterday. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, Lil." Miley then says and hugs me from my left side, placing a soft kiss on my temple. I turn my head to look at her, nudging her nose with mine and telling her: "It's okay, hon. As long as we can spend this afternoon together?"

"Of course we can, sweetie." she replies and kisses me again. Just this time we hear a groan from Joanie. "You two are impossible! Get your asses into Oliver's car and let's go to school!" she orders. We dart towards my best friend's car, grinning broadly.

ooo

On the way to school Oliver told me that Miley's got even more popular and tons of people were talking to her in the hallway or at lunch. I think it's really good for her but I hope it's not going to be too annoying. I also want my privacy with Miley.

As we're walking towards the school's main entrance, holding hands and fingers entwined, Miley suddenly stops me and I face her, tilting my head a little confused. She tells me: "I uh … forgot to tell you something, Lilly. Something rather important … "

I take her other hand into mine, ensuring her that she has my full attention, and giving it a squeeze to encourage her to talk. She looks away shortly and then back at me, seeming a little nervous. What's bugging her so much? "You can tell me, Miley, it's okay."

She sighs. "Hmm … I don't know if it's okay … " I smile at her, encouraging her again: "I'm sure it'll be fine." She nods and starts again: "Well … in my biology class yesterday we started a project where everyone got partners assigned … uhm, and my project-partner is Rachel Unick."

My jaw drops. "R-Rachel?" I ask again, secretly hoping that my brain is trying to play tricks on me by letting me hear a wrong name. But to my dismay Miley nods and confirms: "Yes, Rachel."

I look to the floor, anger is suddenly overwhelming me so much I can hardly think straight. I'm angry and afraid. Afraid that Rachel will terrorize Miley … and afraid that Rachel will try to make a move on Miley … and very secretly afraid that Miley will like that Rachel makes a move on her. For god's sake, Lilly, stop thinking those stupid thoughts again!

"Lil?" Miley's now soft and concerned voice brings me back to reality. I look back up at her. "Are you okay?" she asks. I sigh but nod. "Yeah, sure." I promised her that it'll be fine, so I can't start a drama now. "If it helps … we were assigned, I didn't pick her and she didn't pick me. Heck, I didn't even realize that Rachel was your ex until I saw her last week."

I sigh again. I don't know if that really helps, at least Rachel didn't intend to … do whatever she might have had planned … "It's fine, Miley … I just didn't expect it. What kind of project is it?"

She gives me a small smile, answering: "Nothing special, really. We just have to grow some fungus in class, protocol it and then write an essay about it."

Now that is actually a little relieving. Nothing where they have to stick together too much. "Well good luck with that, hon. Rachel ain't the biggest nerd in this school." I tease her, but we share a laugh together. She also looks relieved now that she noticed I'm not too mad anymore.

"I'm really sorry, Lilly. I wish it were different." she then tells me honestly but I just lean forward and kiss her shortly. "It's not your fault. Now let's get that damn school day started so it's over soon!" I reply and start pulling her towards school. It's gonna be fine, I'll protect Miley.

As we walk past the main entrance I suddenly realize that half of the kids in school look at Miley and as we walk along the aisle people greet her. It's like she's a little celebrity in school somehow. "This is so weird." Miley tells me, but I just smile at her. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Miles! Now everybody can see that you're my superstar!" I say, which earns me another kiss from her.

ooo

In the lunch break I already sit at our table with Oliver. Miley and Joanie aren't here yet. Unfortunately every time I was with Miley today people wanted to talk to her. I previously thought that I could have some privacy with Miley … guess that won't be possible at school now… at least we can still be alone at home. Also, I just told Oliver that Miley is partners with my ex-girlfriend in this biology project they're having and his reaction was very girlish: "Oh my god, no way! This is so not cool! Why would this idiot of a teacher pair up Miley and Rachel?"

I just shake my head, telling him: "In the teacher's defense … I'm sure he's not aware of the fact that he paired up my current and ex-girlfriend. But it sure sucks. I hope Rachel keeps her hands to herself." My tone is grumpy and I still am annoyed. Rachel is capable of everything.

"Come on, Lilly … " Oliver starts but I interrupt him with a rather harsh: "What?!" I don't need this discussion now, but he won't just shut up like that: "You really think Rachel tries to make a move on Miley? So what if, she'll burn her fingers because Miley won't just let her do it! And you know that!"

"I trust my girlfriend, Oliver, I just don't trust that bitch." I snap back and then poke my lunch, visibly annoyed. Looks really gross again and I'm losing my appetite. I hear him sigh and I look up again. "You know that this is exactly what Rachel wants. Seeing you getting eaten up by your own anger and jealousy." he tells me, knowing exactly he's right, just as much as I do. I just glare at Oliver. "Just … drop it, okay?"

"Fine, whatever." he replies, shrugging it off and biting into his sandwich. In the corner of my eyes I see Miley walking towards us and my anger suddenly starts vanishing a little. She sits down beside me and greets me with a smile and a kiss. "Hey you two, how was your day so far?" she asks and also starts eating her lunch.

"Boring, boring … oh, and boring." I reply, trying not to sound too annoyed. Oliver nods from the other side of the table and agrees: "Same here. How was yours?"

"Not too bad, I guess. A little weird since people just won't stop talking to me." she tells us and I smile. My little rock star. I'm still so proud of her. But again the thought of her and Rachel shoots through my head and I have to ask: "How was biology with the Wicked Witch of the West Coast?"

Miley just gives me a look that says more than a thousand words, but she still vocalizes a few of them: "Well … _I_ did the observing and protocol writing and _she_ did the _talking_. I think she really wants me on that cheerleading squad and I can't figure out why."

"To get back at me or something. Even though she was the one who cheated." I reply rather monotone and unimpressed. That's nothing new for me to hear. Miley sighs and strokes my arm affectionately, saying: "I don't want all this with Rachel to bug you so much, Lilly. I'll ask the teacher if I can have a different partner, alright?"

I lay my head on Miley's shoulder and sigh again. "No, don't." I start, then I think about what Oliver told me before and it suddenly gives me a confidence boost. I shouldn't let all this get to me. I should show Rachel that I'm over it … that I'm over _her_, so she will be the one to be annoyed. "Let Rachel be your partner. And to get back at her I won't let it affect me, and she will get angry for a change. And you can show her how awesome you are. We'll finish that bitch off." I say, looking first at my girlfriend, who smiles at me, and then at Oliver, who looks surprised at first but then also nods with an affirming smile on his face. I mouth him a thank you. He's the best buddy ever, making me feel confident even when he doesn't say a word.

ooo

It's the end of the school day and I'm on my way towards Miley's locker. After such a long and boring day at school I'm really anticipating the afternoon with my girlfriend. I really don't know what we're gonna do, maybe hang out at the beach or something?

I suddenly stop dead in my tracks, just a few feet away from Miley's locker. She is already there, gathering her stuff, but right beside her stands another brunette. Yeah, of course you guessed right, it's Rachel. My damn ex who I seem to bump in more often again, much to my dismay. Now, Lilly, suck it up and walk up to your girlfriend, show the damn bitch you're not affected. One, two, three … go!

I start walking again, upright and at a fast pace, confidence radiating from me. "Hey, babe!" I greet my girlfriend. Okay, maybe that was a little too much macho. But according to Miley's happy look on her face she didn't mind. "Hey, gorgeous." she greets me back and kisses me affectionately.

"Ugh, yuck … " I hear from beside us and I immediately glare at the person who just said it. Rachel watched our little display of affection with a raised eyebrow and rather unpleased face. I set up a mocking smile and greet her: "Hello, Rachel."

She just snorts at me and turns back to my girlfriend, asking: "Miley, do I have to look and listen to all of _this_," she makes a weird movement with her hands into our direction, "while we're writing that essay together?"

Miley opens her mouth to say something but I come first: "Wow, I'm astonished! Rachel Unick actually cares for school work? Since when? I can hardly believe it." Oh how I love that look on her face right now, visibly annoyed by me because I hit a nerve.

"Well there happens to be a lot more that you don't know, Lilly." Rachel tries to play it cool, but I know why she suddenly works for her grades and again I can't help to mock: "Of course there is. Let me guess, your parents are going to cut the pocket-money down to a minimum and sell all your oh-so valuable stuff! Am I right?"

I can see Rachel's head turning red from anger and also embarrassment. No, that hasn't changed. That hasn't changed at all. Her parents might be rich, but they're really strict. Rachel gets a lot of pressure when it comes to school. She has to bring home good grades or they get furious. I was there once myself when they were fighting and almost kicked Rachel out. I am aware that it's not nice to make fun of it, but what she did to me wasn't acceptable either.

Again she turns to Miley and says: "You better keep your bitch on the leash, alright? This is a warning. Or you go down with her, Stewart!" and then she leaves, anger still written all over her face. I just keep my smirk up. I don't feel threatened by her, she can't get to me. And I will protect Miley from her, too.

"Lilly, you know that that was completely unnecessary, do you?" Miley then asks me with a frown on her forehead. I turn to face her and explain: "No, Miles, it was necessary. I hate her, she hurt me really badly, and I won't just let her get away with it."

Miley just sighs, closing her locker, then turns back to me, answering: "Fine. I won't interfere into your fight with Rachel since it's clearly something between you two, but please, Lilly, when I work on that essay with her and you are there as well then ignore her, just don't start a fight with her again, okay? I don't want a bad grade because of something that doesn't even involve me."

Her look is intense and stern. Her usually ocean blue eyes are in a very deep shade right now and I know better than to mess or argue with Miley when she has this look. She's sincere about what she just said and I nod. "Okay, I promise. I'm sorry." I apologize, which makes her eyes lighten up again and a smile forming on her lips.

ooo

We decided to head to Miley's house. When Miley called her father he offered to cook us some dinner and we both just couldn't say no. I love Mr. Stewart's cooking and I won't miss a chance to have dinner at my girlfriend's.

We enter the house, kick off our shoes, put our bags down and plop down on the couch beside each other. Miley's dad is not here right now as he told Miley that he'd go out grocery shopping for the dinner. I let out a happy sigh and lean back in the soft seat. "Ah, I'm glad we've got some time alone." I say and look at Miley, smiling.

"Me, too. All of those people talking to me is still freaking me out a little. Though I gotta admit, it is kinda cool." Miley tells me, laying her head on my shoulder. I start stroking through her hair and then kiss the top of her head. "My little rock star … " I whisper and after a few moments Miley moves her head to look into my eyes.

No words have to be said any further as Miley moves closer to me and I meet her halfway. I finally have time to kiss her without anyone around. I move my hand to the back of her head to keep her in place, starting to move my lips against hers in a delicate manner. She returns the kiss, but after a short while asks for permission to explore my mouth with her tongue, which I grant her immediately, so it's now my turn to return the kiss in her manner. A little tongue game begins and I can feel the world around us vanishing quite quickly.

I settle my free hand on her side, stroking her there lightly and I feel her hand moving under my shirt, exploring the exposed skin there and I feel a shiver going through my body. A soft moan escapes my throat at the sensation I feel coming from her touch.

"Woah, I knew it was kinda quiet down here!" someone suddenly startles us from behind. I jump a little since I didn't think anybody else was in the house, but Miley seems a lot less surprised than me. I look at the person and see Miley's brother standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey, Jackson." I greet him, not trying to sound annoyed, since he actually disrupted quite a peaceful time for Miley and me, not to mention a heated make-out session. Jackson looks at us, obviously sorry that he interrupted us. "Hey, bro." Miley greets him as well.

"Hey you two. Should I go back upstairs again?" he finally asks, but we both shake our heads. It's a little late for that now, plus the moment is already ruined. I think Miley and I better wait 'til later for more love and passion.

"Sorry again." he says quietly and then sits down on the big chair which is standing in their living room, next to the couch. I then ask curiously: "Aren't you working today?" since usually he should be at work.

"Nah, took the day off today since my boss is giving me a hard time lately, letting me work extra shifts because he's too stupid to find a replacement every now and then." he explains and I nod my head in acknowledgement. Poor Jackson is working really hard lately, I definitely noticed that.

"You totally deserve that free day, Jackson." Miley says and gives her brother a smile, which he returns immediately. They are so close, it's really nice to watch. They've been through quite a lot together, so who can blame them?

My thoughts are interrupted by a buzzing phone. I figure it's Miley's and I watch her picking up. "Hello? … hey, Alex! How are you? … I'm fine, too, thanks … " Oh great, Alex again. I come home from school and Rachel is far away and now Alex calls … I should stop being jealous, this is going to kill me one day … I keep listening to my girlfriend talking: "Sunday evening, yeah I think we have time. Lilly?" I look at her and think about it for a second. I wouldn't mind doing something on Sunday … oh … "I can't, my mom wants me around on Sunday for a mother-daughter-thing again." and I really can't let her down on these. She told me once she sometimes needs me just to keep her on the ground and not get stupid again, especially when she had a stressful week.

"Lilly's busy on Sunday, have you got time another evening? … " Miley sighs shortly, before looking at me again, just telling me with her expression that Alex doesn't have time on other evenings. I just shrug and say: "Just go ahead, I'll join you two another time." even though I really want to go with my girlfriend because I still don't completely trust Alex and her intentions. But I don't want to cage Miley … "Are you sure?" Miley asks in a whisper and I just nod with a reassuring smile, and Miley turns back to Alex: "Well Lilly can't, unfortunately, but I could ask Jackson?" she looks at her brother but he shakes his head, adding: "I don't want to disrupt your 'girly-time'." which only makes Miley roll her eyes and shake her head, before telling Alex: "No, he doesn't want to 'disrupt our girly-time' … yeah, I know … alright, then, see you on Sunday! … bye!" and she hangs up the phone.

"I'm so sorry, Lilly. It's always a bad time." Miley tells me with an apologetic look. A cute, apologetic look which only makes me smile. "It's okay. We'll find another time." I reply and give her a kiss, wanting to feel her close to me.

"I'll just run upstairs and put that into my calendar, I'll be right back." my girlfriend says, pecks me on the lips again and then runs upstairs.

I look at Jackson who seems to frown. I can't help but state: "You so like Alex." and he turns to me with raised eyebrows. He starts: "What? no, I … " but he trails off for a second or two before smiling lightly and replying: "Well yeah, I do."

"I know. What I don't know is why you won't join the two?" I ask him, but he shakes his head again. "Please, with my sister there as well? You really think it could be romantic?" he asks me, which makes me chuckle a little. "No, obviously not. But you should totally ask Alex out sometime."

I would really like to see Alex going out with Jackson because then I would be a lot more at ease when Miley and Alex go to the cinema or something. I hear Jackson sighing and asking me: "You really think she'd go out with me? I'm not even sure if she's straight." but this comment isn't as funny as I want it to sound for me, it rather stings a little in my chest. Jealousy crawling up again and I frown. So he also thinks that Alex likes Miley? Oh, I so can't let her go out with Alex on Sunday alone! Great, but she already said she'll go … shit, Jackson, why did you have to say that?

"What are you saying, Jackson?" I ask him, pissed and scared at the same time. As he realizes that his statement affected me more than he thought he immediately says: "No, I didn't mean because she's spending time with Miley! Just sometimes the way she behaves … I don't know, she's just too cool to be a straight girl, you know? I don't know how to explain … "

It doesn't relax me a lot, but at least a bit. My eyebrows still tightened I say: "She better just be a tomboy-ish straight girl rather than hitting on Miley … " more to myself than to him, but he gets the picture.

But before he can say anything else I hear Miley coming down the stairs again and sitting back down beside me. I put my arm around her shoulder protectively and let my features relax again. I don't want her to know that I'm jealous since I promised her I won't be. I'll just have to keep an eye on Alex …

**A/N:** I'll stop right here … the next chapter will hopefully bring light into all of the confusion I was writing there xD I still appreciate every review I get, so don't be shy to leave your thoughts!


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